Lost in a Silver Storm
by SailorElfGirl
Summary: Sometimes, all we wish for is to be encompassed in our favorite story. However, when our wish is granted, is any consequence too high to live in our greatest adventure? Not all dreams are made up of flowers and sunshine. KakashixOC
1. Wishing to be Fantasy

Chapter One

Wishing to be Fantasy

It was raining, once again. For days the weather had continued to be this same, dreary, horror book beginning. School was closed, but no one was outside enjoying the small taste of freedom that came from the cancellation. All Amy knew was that the test that she was supposed to take yesterday in Physics was going to be even harder. This unbelievable storm was just delaying the inevitable. It was just better to get it over and done with then to wait it out. The same philosophy applied to jumping into a freezing lake. Why go in inch by inch when risking a heart-attack by cannoballing in was a lot more fun?

A chuckle reverberated from her throat as she kept staring at the raindrops that pounded with such force onto her window of her room. Books of numerous titles and colors were spread out all over her bed with the pages bent and spines crinkled with use. She couldn't tell how many times she had read the same adventures over and over. But she couldn't stop herself from delicately picking up the story of someone else's life filled with toil and hardship but always came out on top. Because they were the hero. Everything went right when they were involved because that was how they were written to be. They were fantasy, fiction, unrealistic. Yet, even though their lives could never be real, it was what Amy had dreamt about having. It was what she wanted more than anything else in the world, so on her every birthday when her grandparents sent her money in cheesy cards that were covered in glitter and pink that she detested so much, the girl headed to the nearest bookstore and purchased at least a week's worth of fighting dragons, knights, and always a little bit of romance to wrap in up in a happy ending. Amy had it nothing like that.

The characters in her books were entirely different people and she knew that she couldn't be like them. Maybe she wasn't as enchanting as a fairytale princess who not only had the beauty of face but the grace of an angel, or as strong as an Amazon warrior who not only had the strength to crush enemies with their bare hands but had the undying love of the perfect man, or even as cunning as a thief with a mastery of the blade to be feared by all. She was who she was…normal. When she opened the imaginations of an author, however, she could be anyone that she dreamed to be, if only for a few hours. It wasn't enough, though.

Soon, Amy began to pick up her new career that she knew that she couldn't pursue because of the unsteady pay, writing. It became her favorite hobby that even topped annoying her little brother. Whatever she wanted, she could make it happen in her stories that increased daily. Some could be novels that had taken years of patience and sore wrists, or small, funny excerpts that improved her mood every time she looked at them. Computer files were all loaded with her little ramblings and a dresser drawer had been filled to the brim with ratty notebooks that contained more writings and numerous doodles that littered the pages. In her lap, at the moment, she held a pencil that had stilled its crazed movements a short, few minutes ago when the silent teenager had stopped its path on the lined paper.

She was wondering within her mind, searching for a conclusion to wrap up her newest chapter to her book. Amy was sitting on her windowsill that had been covered with her comforter from her bed and a few pillows to make her the most comfortable. This was her thinking spot where she could just stare outside, but at the same time, not see anything, and she loved it. Her teachers didn't appreciate the random moments of inspiration that came to her in the middle of lectures that held no interest in them, and one of her notebooks would encompass her thoughts and her attention. Her actions had consequences, but Amy had no choice but to write at any time that her mind commanded it. To be within the pages of hardships with mystical creatures was too much to resist and she succumbed to its splendor.

At this moment, something was wrong. She could not concentrate. Something was going to happen.

A chill swept through her body making her hair raise and bumps to form on her skin against her will. Her dark eyes that resembled an ocean storm, swept across the room accessing every detail. Bed unmade, door shut, lamp on, window closed, pictures still pasted on a dark blue wall…nothing was misplaced. It appeared to all be the same. Amy hated to feel scared; it made her actions irrational and lost sleep over shadows that seemed to come alive when her eyes were hidden behind her lids. Though when the sun shined through her gauzy curtains, they vanished and became nothing more than a bad dream. Her brother was supposed to be scared of the dark, not her. She was the older sibling and protected the smaller one from the imaginations of their mind. The mind…it was a monstrous place. The slightest pigment of doubt could plant seeds of insecurity within. Fear took root and grew into a mindless panic that even the bravest of men could succumb to.

Thunder boomed with a mighty force that seemed to shake the whole foundation of the house. The lighting flickered and Amy could faintly hear a moan of protest coming from the room next to her. Her brother practically lived in his room, the same as her. His life relied solely on his technology which included the almighty gaming stations and he practically worshipped the gaming controller that controlled his life say in and day out. Amy could almost understand his reverence toward his video games, almost. It was fun to play a character in a fantasy world, but it ended too soon and included more fighting and effort than an actual story line. She would take a book over it any day because each time the cover was opened and pages read, she could change the scenery to whatever she wished and see the characters travel through her ideas. It was forever changing and it made her excited to learn new things. Each time her blue eyes scanned the small print, she caught things that might have been missed before due to trying to read in school with one eye on the professor and half-listening to the lesson so that if she was caught, again, she could at least provide the excuse that she could multitask. It never worked.

Another clash of thunder made her jump in her place and cause her legs to slip from the wall which was the only thing keeping her balanced on the window ledge. On instinct, her arms flew out to try and keep her on her claimed spot, but gravity had its way with her. A jarring pain in her ass made her yelp a curse and to release her hold on the notebook and pencil. The lights flickered once more and Amy knew that the power wouldn't last much longer. To put it bluntly, their electric company sucked, and even the lightest thunderstorm caused something to go out much to her brother's chagrin. Their father had tried to do something about it before, but it was always Amy that had to go down to the basement with a flimsy flashlight to flip the breaker switch so that nothing overloaded. It was always her anyhow that fixed anything that fell apart and the things that she couldn't fix were the things that the professionals took care of. Jake, her pipsqueak, had no depth perception what so ever and his method of putting things pack together usually involved glue or duct tape. At times, though, it seemed quite efficient. Their father didn't even try and only offered criticism instead of getting off his lazy ass and actually doing something about the blasted things.

Groaning, but nonetheless pushing herself up onto her feet, and stretched limbs that had stayed stationary for hours on end. She cracked her neck along with her knuckles that had often caused disgusted looks among the student population. Lovingly, she bent down and gently closed her spiral covering the words that would have to be finished later. Amy picked it up along with other things that littered her floor and carelessly threw them on the mattress without a second thought. She'd find it later and until the time for bed arrived, she wouldn't even bother looking for it. Her hands smoothed out any wrinkles that might have formed permanently on her sweatshirt and absently ran them through her midnight black hair before deeming herself appropriate.

Her stomach growling and thoughts of warm soup floundered through her head, the teenager decided to head downstairs into dangerous waters. It was well worth the risk, she thought because her hunger wouldn't be sated for long. A smile lit up her face as she thought that a nice bowl of ice-cream afterwards would make this day seem brighter than it appeared to be. Carefully turning the doorknob and opening the door, Amy made sure that the hallway was clear before heading down it to get to the stairs. She passed a sign covered door that was practically pasted with "Do Not Cross" crime scene tape. Apparently, as every second grader believed, girls were covered in cooties and they contaminated everything that was touched by their infested hands. The door was slightly open and Amy made sure that Jake was alright. His eyes were glued to his television screen with his hands rapidly moving on the controller that he held on his hands. Hair that matched her own dark locks was plastered over his face with sweat. It amazed her that the boy was as skinny as a stick and yet anything that was coated in sugar was promptly consumed and the only exercise that he got was the jumping up and down at a completed level.

Relatives that had come over to visit always said that their favorite nephew or grandson greatly resembled his mother and just plain adorable. She knew the truth, however. Underneath that "cute" exterior lied a monster that only came out when Jake decided that Amy had become a character in one of his games and tried numerous things to bring his real sister back. One time he had even tried to exorcise a demon that had apparently taken over her body while she had been asleep. He then proceeded to knock her upside the head with two wooden sticks that had been taped together to form a cross. After that incident, the neighbor had a hard time explaining to her father to keep his kids out of his gutter.

"Take _that_ you evil, monster thing that keeps kicking my ass!"

The sudden outburst made her crack up which startled her brother into dropping the controller. Blood red words dripped down the screen reading game over and caused the pipsqueak to violently protest and accuse the game of cheating. Amy's laughter died down as she remembered a certain word in that sentence.

"You know that if father hears what you just said, you're going to be in trouble," she reprimanded.

"I don't care," he mumbled under his breath, but Amy heard it anyways and shook her head at his stubbornness. He reminded her how much he took after her when she was little. Nothing could keep her down, not even punishments. The only thing that was learned from them was that stealth skills were needed to be improved on and not to get caught doing the same thing twice. Her stomach growled and reminded her that there was a package of soup with her name on it.

"Hey, squirt, I'm gettin' something to eat. Want anything?" Amy asked while leaning on the doorframe, watching Jake pick up his controller and began punching the buttons on them once more. He uttered a sound which Amy took as a negative. "Suit yourself. That was your only offer for a free meal." He grumbled again and paid no mind to his older sister. She shrugged and shut the door, leaving the seven year old in peace.

Her bare feet made no noise against the soft carpet as she traveled down the stairs, hopping them two at a time to get down to the kitchen faster. The house they lived in was mediocre at best and the only thing that the teenager loved about it was that the walls were soundproof. Their father was not a silent sleeper nor was the ladies that he brought home at ungodly hours in the morning. Amy made sure that her brother was fast asleep always before ten o'clock and locked his door for him before doing the same for the connecting bathroom as well as hers. She, however, left her bathroom door open so that when Jake had a nightmare, he could always come and see her. He hated to admit it, but the girl knew that he felt safe in her arms. It reminded him of their mother.

Their mother…she was a taboo subject to discuss. Jake had been the cause of Melinda's death. She had been weak even before the pregnancy and had become frail and sick over those nine months and when the time came…all she had the strength to do was smile at her newborn baby boy and whisper the name that she wished him to be called. She had been nine at the time and was not considered old enough to step past the boundaries of the waiting room. So she had to wait. Amy hated waiting. Soon a rubber band had been found on the floor and had caused her an hour's worth of entertainment of how far she could shoot the darned thing and how many times she could snap herself on the leg without crying out.

Her game, though, had to end when the thing couldn't take anymore of the strain. Besides, her father had come out. He had been a different man back then. Loving caring, everything a father should be towards their child. It changed. It all changed. He shunned Jake and treated the poor child as if he was a contagious disease that would cause a lightning bolt to strike him down if he as much as touched Jake's skin. Amy wished that one would come down anyhow. He was just a kid! He didn't understand what had happened to cause his only parent to treat him with such animosity. She took care of him because who else would? Her little brother pretended that it didn't bother him, but not even did he allow his friends from his school to come with a five mile radius of his house. Okay, maybe that was a little bit of an exaggeration as the bus had to come by their house everyday, but the only time she got to see them was when they stuck their heads out the windows to say goodbye.

Amy reached the bottom of the stairs with a small bounce and cautiously checked around the corner to check if her father was asleep. The clock in the living room chimed six times, and not even did it bother the drunken man passed out on the baby blue couch. Empty beer bottles littered the floor like her books were on her bed. Internally sighing as to not wake him up, the teenager knew that she would have to clean that mess up before she went to sleep. Continuing on into the kitchen, Amy walked up to one of the numerous cabinets and fished around for the can of soup for her and her brother. She knew that he would be insatiably hungry just as soon as she finished her meal and then she would have to get everything out once again and feed his rumbling belly. Which hers was doing right now.

"Alright, alright. I'll feed you, give me a freaking minute," she growled downwards. The noise seemed to stop and Amy was satisfied. She gave a small cry of triumph as her finger brushed against the laminated label of what she hoped was what she was looking for. She jumped a bit to give her that extra foot of height for her hand to clasp around the cylindrical object. "Family Sized Chicken Noodle Soup," the can read. Just what she was looking for.

Setting it on the old, deteriorating countertop, the girl opened the wooden drawer located just below her supper and shuffled around the many kitchen tools before she found the handheld can opener. She laid it next to the can and pulled out a cooking pot underneath the stove and placing it on top of the burner. Carefully extracting the metal top of the soup and throwing it in the trashcan with good aim might she add, she poured in the noodles along with a cup full of water and turned on the gas. The mismatched lid was placed on top of the pot and Amy left it alone for it to boil. Her eyes peered into the fridge when she opened it up, looking for something that would go with dinner. Shrugging, she just pulled out two bottles of water. Out of another cabinet she took out two bowls and laid them on the table along with the water as well as silverware. Ta-Da! Dinner is served! Now to call down the munchkin. Father Drunk was fast asleep and she knew that if a band of flying monkeys eating light bulbs came through the living room, he wouldn't awaken. The man was unconscious. But she didn't want to risk the beating that he would give her if he wasn't that far deep in a beer-induced sleep.

Blowing a strand of her onyx hair away from her stormy-blue eyes, she grudgingly began to head back up the sixteen stairs only to fall back down when a lightning bolt must have struck the power lines. Again her ass met the floor and another curse was uttered from her mouth at her misfortune. It was pitch black and not even could Amy see her hand that was waving around frantically in front of her face. Great, she had to make _another_ trip down to the basement which had to have been the third time in two days. Grumbling back into the kitchen, Amy flipped off the gas and rummaged in one of the other drawers for the emergency flashlight. As she drew it out, a loud snore from her father startled her into dropping it and making it roll underneath the table. Since it was incredibly dark, the teenager had to get down on her hands and knees searching for her only light source with probing fingers.

"Where are you, you piece of cra-ah ha! Here you are," she whispered in triumph in the dark. Quickly switching it on and scooting out from underneath the kitchen table, hitting her head in the process; Amy made the journey down into the dank basement.

It wasn't as if she hated to do all the work around the house. Sure it got annoying as it was done everyday, but it gave her a sense of responsibility and maturity that greatly surpassed the students at her school. College was approaching fast, but Amy wasn't sure that if she could go and achieve her dream job. What would happen to her squirt? Who would take care of him? Certainly their father wouldn't and would hand off the brat to his sister-in-law in a heartbeat who scared the freaking crap out of her to say it honestly. Even then he would be treated differently. Aunt Carrie had not really been close to her sister, but just one look at his dark hair and baby blue eyes, she would remember. Maybe she could get a job this summer to save up money for a cheap apartment they could live in and take college courses at night. It was a full time commitment, but she was ready to make one if only to take care of Jake. Only two years, she told herself, and then they would both be out of this dump and onto bigger and better things.

She sighed in the darkness. Two years was two too many. Reaching the breaker box, Amy pounded her fist against the lock and it popped open in an instant. Holding the flashlight in her left hand, her dominant hand, she began scrolling her right index finger down the small red switches. One, however, had decided to be increasingly stubborn and refused to be flicked off. Mumbled curses were heard underneath her breath as she popped the flashlight in her mouth to keep the beam of light fixed on her work and tried with both hands to make the switch _un_-stubborn.

Suddenly, another flash of lightning came down obeying the rules of not striking in the same place twice, and struck the breaker box where her finger were currently fiddling with. A great shock passed through her making her nerve cells send massive messages to her brain saying that this hurt like hell! A scream of her own tore itself from her throat as the burning intensity ripped through her body. She was going to die! She was going to freaking die, but she couldn't! Her boy needed her! She had to help him! With her last thoughts, the pain stopped as she sank into a black abyss.


	2. An Answer to Someone Else's Prayer

Hey thanx for the reviews and I would love to respond to all of them, so I'll do it in this one sentence!

Thank You Very Much For All Your Support And Your Kind Words!

I have to say that I kinda forgot to do all the stuff before hand and to actually explain what's actually going on in this little story. Well, it happens before the Naruto episodes even start and our favorite knucklehead is only four years old when our heroine actually meets him.

YES! It's another KakashixOc story and what inspired me to start writing this goes all to Princess Tsunade, the proud author of Flower of Konoha, one of my favorite stories of all time. If you ever get around to reading this, the gratitude goes all to her for my inspiration.

Disclaimer: If I really did own Naruto, do you think that I would NOT have myself attached to Kakashi's hip?

Quote of the day: "Forgiveness is not what people deserve, it is what they need."

And since I didn't do this in my last chapter, here's another one: "It is hard to fit in when you were born to stand out."

I love to put fortune cookie sayings on everything as the only morals that we actually do receive are in fairytales, and there are not enough in this world to put the message across. Now that if that isn't something to think about, here's something else…

Chapter Two

An Answer to Someone Else's Prayer

They say that when it rains, an angel is crying. But we ask ourselves, who are they crying for? Is it for us, mere mortals? Or for the world itself? Because of their own pain? Or our sins that we have committed out of awareness that our actions have grave consequences? Could they have that much love for us that tears only fall from their innocent eyes to bring life upon the earth so that we could live to grow older another day? Then as promise of their forgiveness they bless us with lights that blend together to form what is called, a rainbow. Why do they bother to save a life from the pain they have suffered when there are millions more on the planet that are praying for lost loved ones? Does _one_ person deserve to be blessed with a chance that could change their life?

Not even could the wise men answer that question. And neither could anyone else because truly, do we even want to know the answer?

The rain…it can also mean entirely something different. It can mean change. Whether it be good or bad. It can mean a new beginning; a chance to start over and for the rain to symbolize washing away our old lives and starting anew. Isn't wondrous to see the tiny droplets of water burst forth from billowing clouds and fall on our lives as if they had nowhere else to go? They are calling attention to themselves, to say that other things are happening right at this moment and that it cannot be stopped just because we wish for them to. Falling for the entire world to see. Would we all just wish to have that kind of freedom; to have that second chance to do something that only our dreams give to us?

She was given that chance. But was it because of her own wishes to give up her own life in exchange for another one? Could it have been that she was the granted wish of one, small boy? Was she the answer to someone else's prayer? Could all his nights, of sleeping alone with only a thin blanket to keep his precious body warm, have an end? Lonely days and lonely nights, a life with no meaning except to live 'til the next day…was she something that only he could dream of? Was she a light in his overwhelming darkness? Could she make a difference; her alone, a sixteen year old girl…with no memory?

The forest was empty as the rain continued to patter down upon the drenched earth, masking any other sound. It was quiet except for the bouts of thunder that shook the silent trees. Not even did the leaves dare to fall from their branches less they disturb their precious bundle beneath them. Roots, gnarled with age, seemed to rise from their prison in the ground to wrap the huddled figure protectively in their embrace.

It was cold as the wind fiercely blew, blinding anyone with the slanting rain that it sent into the eyes of an unwary being. It was dark except for the shafts of light that tried to pierce through the blanket of black clouds.

It was lonely for not even fond memories could keep her warm from the love that radiated from them.

She was alone and nothing could tell her if someone was even looking for her. Did she have family? Did she have loved ones? Was she cared for? Was she happy? Who was she? Who had she been? Where was she? Where could she go? How would she get there? How would she survive?

Cold, cold, she was so cold. Another shiver wracked her body causing the girl to instinctively pull her legs up farther into her chest. She buried her head into the crook of her knees trying to keep the wind away form her face. The clothes that she had wakened up in had been soaked and not even had she the will to move out from under the pounding rain. Only when lightning streaked across the sky was she motivated enough to crawl over to lay beneath the bough of the great, old tree.

"The storm will pass," she whispered but her voice was swept away. Even her own words were drowned out by the tempest around her.

How long could this go on? It could not last forever, but it need not before she froze to death. She had to move. But to where? Lost, lost, she was so lost.

All the girl could want were answers to her numerous questions and maybe a place where a fire roared. Not even could she remember the last time she had been warm. Her eyes welled up with her tears. They did not fall from her sadness, but from fright. She could not recall the last time she had been scared, or happy, or angry! Nothing was there! It was as if her very life had been taken away from her in a flash and left her with nothing in a strange place. What could have happened to her? What could she have done wrong to deserve a fate such as this?

She wanted to go home to wherever that was! She wanted to leave this miserable place and never come back!

The lost girl couldn't hold back her sobs, but it wasn't as if anyone could hear them; the storm was too strong. No one could see them as her face was desperately drawing the warmth from her thighs to try and keep it from freezing. Why shouldn't she cry? She had the right. Nevertheless, she risked the blow of the wind to wipe away the rivers of water rushing down her face, mixing with the rain, with numb fingers which she placed back into the oversized sleeves of her sweatshirt. Shedding tears would do nothing for her and if she wanted something to happen, she had to get off her ass and do it herself. But it was cold. Maybe if she lied down for just a few minutes she could think of something, or wait for this terrible weather to pass. To just close her eyes seemed like eternal bliss. The temptation was just too great. With a sigh, expelling her frozen breath, she cut off the rest of the world.

As soon as she decided to forget everything around her, her heart slowed and her deep breaths of air came rarely. Maybe this would go all away if she imagined it hard enough and when she awoke once more, it would be better. But would she be able to open her eyes again? It didn't matter. Nothing mattered. She did not even want to be here in the first place. The cold bit at her skin like a thousand tiny ants and caused her teeth to chatter incessantly. Her muscles began to become stiff from the body being closed in on it. She wanted all this to stop, to just stop.

As if someone had heard her words, something appeared in front of her, behind her closed eyelids. It appeared to be a raging amethyst inferno that lived within her! Its flames burned wildly inside a thin sphere of blue light which seemed to encase its power, keeping it from her. It was _fascinating_. Her mind's eyes gazed into the dancing embers that seemed to feed off an invisible force around her. It was _beautiful_ and she wanted more of it. However, the ring of sapphire kept her from accessing the blessed warmth of the embers. Desperation and frustration to get to her fire caused the barrier to shatter into many glass shards that vanished as the inferno swallowed them up as it spread rapidly.

Her whole vision became filled with violet and the nameless girl could have sworn that the warmth infused into her limbs, giving them life. She was content. She could feel the cold slip away from her as the fire enveloped her as if someone was holding her, their arms keeping her safe. It was as if a blanket had been wrapped around her. A heartbeat that had stopped only moments ago sped up as the fog of unconsciousness dispersed. Not even could she feel the rain that had pelted her not moments ago. A breeze that had been unbearable had dulled down into a small whisper. It was going to be alright. She was going to be okay.

The fire that had raged minutes before began to calm as eyes, that had been tightly shut, started to open. Next to her ear, she could hear a steady rhythm that made a small smile cross her face. It…it was comforting as if something from her other life reminded her that not all things were as bad as they seemed. With a relieved sigh, the flames were again trapped inside its sapphire orb and the incredible warmth that had come from it began to ebb away little by little. But it was alright. She was being kept safe from the world around her. Burrowing her head into the soft cushion that held her head, she drifted off into a slumber that did not risk the consequence of death. Before sleep claimed her tired soul, a voice of a deep baritone comforted her.

"Don't worry, you'll be safe."

Sorry that's all there is for now. I wanted to get rid of this small excerpt before the rest comes, but don't worry, it'll be up by next week and it'll be a heck of a lot longer. I decided to give a little bit of a cliffhanger. So be ready to read a LOT more in a few days.

So what did she find within herself? I bet it's all what you're thinking. Remember that she lost her memory and it just felt awkward to put her name in the story. Don't worry! She'll get one soon!

Next chapter explains quite a bit about her predicament. Send you questions in your reviews if you have any and I'll be glad to answer them!

Sorry again, and don't forget to review, they definitely motivate me to write these a lot faster!


	3. Forgotten Memories

Sorry for the non-working page breaks, I'll be sure to fix that in chapter two sooner or later.

I give thanks to all my reviewers who said their kind words to me, you know who you are. I have to say as well that I like putting MY opinions and MY beliefs into my writing because it makes me unique and gives my stories their own voice. It makes them fall in their own category and yet tie in with other details that have _long_ been used numerous times, but can we ever tire of them? Here's another thing to think about.

Disclaimer: …I preserve my rights and use it? Freedom of the press!

Naruto- What press?

Sailor Elf- Hey, blondie! Just wait until I put you in MY story and then you can interrupt! Which I have rights to as an author! Alright, continuing…

Quote- "Never do _anything_ you wouldn't want to explain to the paramedics!" (A loving, caring sentence that was inspired by my best friend who decided that I needed to know this "valuable" piece of information at 2 o'clock in the morning.)

Chapter Three

Forgotten Memories

What happens when we dream? Are they just suppressed images of the brain that only come to mind when the day ends? Is it our subconscious telling us something that we can only hear at night? How do we imagine them if it has never been seen before or heard? Is it divine intervention? Could our dreams be foreshadowing the future in vague pictures that have to be deciphered when we awaken? If so, then why are they never remembered? Why do we even dream if it is always forgotten?

We say that its just nonsense that could only be as important as a sixth toe. It's nothing; absolutely preposterous…only how do we know which images are real. Could we be dreaming even as we are awake? Are we truly conscious? How could we even know and how could we even prove it?

Bad dreams are called nightmares and good ones are fantasies that can never be achieved or just plain not plausible. But is anything impossible? Wasn't it just a fanatical dream about humans being able to fly through the air or go to the moon? Hasn't it been done? So what importance are our dreams? Could they be just stepping stones that needed to be stepped on to get across the roaring river of ignorance? What else could we do and what else is out there to be achieved?

How could we know unless we dream?

(Insert page break here. Ignore this and continue reading)

She heard screams. No matter where she ran, the earsplitting terror rang through her ears. A cry of a child, the groans of pain coming from the battlefield, shrieks of incomparable sadness that tore form the throats of the comrades of the fallen. They all mixed together in a mindless jumble that could not be deciphered into individuals. Something was under attack, but was impossible to see through the smoke and fire that surrounded her crouched figure. Her hands covered her ears, trying to smother the voices that tried to deafen her into silence.

The girl had woken up to a chaos that spelled doom to all who entered. Now she couldn't exit no matter how many tears fell from her closed eyes. She didn't want to see anymore pointless deaths from an invisible enemy. No more destruction of lives or families! Stop, stop! Make it stop! Her pleas, however, were not heard but the screams from the village still continued. They called for help and an end to their misery that they were enduring from a…a demon. What was a demon? How could it cause so much pain in so many innocent people? Was it a monster? It had to have been. Nothing could match what she was feeling right now in mortal terms.

All around her was fire, but it was not her own comforting blaze of purple. Almost she could smell the charred flesh and burned wood that collapsed only meters away from her. She was encompassed in a fiery hell that was called war, but she could see nothing. Not even did she dare to open her eyes. She didn't want to know what was around her.

A blast that could have leveled mountains swept over her, making legs that had been settled on the ground, topple over and send her flying. She could feel the burns from the gravel that struck her knees as she tried to stop her body from moving any farther than she needed it to. Only then, when she regained her momentum, could she lift her head to gaze around her. Almost immediately could the girl wish that this was all a horrendous dream that she would soon wake up from. The sun would rise any second and all this would be put behind her. This nightmare would end. It was too horrific for it to be real.

"Wake up, wake up."

Red eyes suddenly appeared right in front of her and stared into her own storm blue, capturing her full attention in their endless orbs that resembled a crimson sky.

"C'mon girl!"

They mesmerized her, drawing the breath from her body by the sheer intensity of the gaze. She saw…she saw so much. Pain…death…betrayal…all of it; she saw all of it in those spheres of blood.

"Wake up! It's just a nightmare, kid!"

Out of the darkness came slivers of silver that could rival the length of her body. Rows and rows of them appeared before her, but the eyes did not allow her to move. She was paralyzed in the awe of what swam in their depths. Closer and closer did the shafts of knives come and past them came eternal darkness. Behind her, she could hear the screams intensify until all she could do was join her voice in the chorus of terror.

"Dammit, wake UP!"

She was swallowed, and not even did she give herself the chance to defend her life. What else could she do but give up? At least it was silent. No more could she hear the destruction of the village. She swam in a black void, forever floating for an eternity in her doubts and regrets. If only she could have taken a second chance, to go back and brushed past her cowardice to help the people who needed it the most.

A voice whispered in her ear, "If that is what you believe, then find the demon fox, its container needs-"

A sharp sting to her cheek snapped her from her self-pity and she could feel herself flying upwards.

"Wait, wait," she called in vain. "What does it need? The demon fox! Where?"

Immediately, her eyes snapped open in a feeling of unfamiliarity. Her stormy gaze met with a blurry object that seemed to be within only centimeters of her face. With a surprised shriek, and with a reaction that still remained a mystery to her 'til this day, her fist that lied by her side came up with surprising speed and met with dead on accuracy to her assailant's nose. The man, she could tell by the grunt of pain, fell back instantly clutching the injured part of his face with none too few curses spewing from his mouth.

With consciousness however came the knowledge of how well her senses were working, right now her sense of touch was working quite well. Granted that her vision was still a bit blurry, but every part of her body screamed at her all at once that they were in pain. A silent curse passed her lips as her teeth gritted against one another to keep her from crying out. Her hand that had pushed her intruder away came slowly down until it rested lightly on her stomach which lied underneath many blankets that prevented her from moving even the slightest inch.

Slowly, the girl assessed her situation with a calm eye as her vision began to clear. It seemed that she was inside a building of some sort, a small one wooden one she noticed as she stared up at the ceiling. There were no windows and she could barely make out the outline of a door. If she was in danger, that was where she needed to go to get out. Her left hand tapped softly next to her side, her fingers drumming lightly on a thin pad. Pressing harder, she felt resistance. That meant she was on the floor and not in a bed. Turning her head ever so slightly on the cushion of soft feathers, she found the man that had invaded her personal space. A dark eyebrow rose when she caught what he was grunting under his breath. His hands blocked his face but she didn't need to see it to figure out that this guy was…well…

He was…strange looking.

What she could see from her position on the ground, were uneven pants with one leg of material longer than the other and showing a small bit of tan skin. Sandals covered his feet but left the toes showing and, shockingly, he was wearing _fishnet_! Wait, she stopped herself…Where did that thought come from? How did she know what that piece of clothing was? Searching in vain for a memory, the girl didn't notice that the mutterings had stopped and she was being stared at with the same scrutiny that she was giving him. Her eyes were glazed over with thought and only realized that someone was near her when she felt warmth radiating from an outside source. Again her automatic reaction was the use of her fist, but instead meeting the soft flesh of the face, her curled fingers met calloused skin that felt rough even to her hands.

"I was waiting for that to happen. Good reflexes, kid, I wasn't expecting the first punch."

Startled, the girl raised her eyes to his face to see a bit of dried blood coming from his nose and a bit off the side of his left eye. Her knuckle must have clipped him…so that was why it was throbbing. The next immediate thing she caught was that he didn't seem to be angry with her. He looked happy. This guy really was weird.

"Now, I like a good fight as much as the next ninja."

He carefully lowered his hand and released her fist letting it plop softly back to its original position near her chest. She watched his eyes leave hers and saw his hands grasp the parts of the blankets that had ruffled due to her movement. Faintly, she could see small scars covering almost every finger. They ranged in size and color from the older ones which were pale white and newer ones which were still the shade of pink from the healing of the new skin. What could have made such clean, straight cuts?

"But, I don't believe that it would be a very fair match against an unstable opponent. Sorry kid, but it'll have to wait until later. Hey, now, now girly! It's the truth," he said when her eyes narrowed into thin slits. She may be disoriented but she could still know when she was being insulted.

"I-I'm not a kid," the girl wheezed out in protest. Coughs filled the awkward silence when she spoke. Her throat felt like sand and it was hard to breathe through the grit. A glass was presented to her immediately, filled to the brim with clear water. Raising an eyebrow at how fast the oddball of a man managed to present her with it so fast, she gratefully grasped it between her hands. However a problem was presented to her…she was lying down.

Silently gesturing for a little assistance and demonstrating her distress by weakly trying to raise herself up with feeble elbows, the bed-ridden girl managed to tip over the glass. In disappointment at her failure, she just watched the water seep into the wooden floor, creating a wet puddle by her bedside. A sad sigh swept past her dry lips and she had to lick them with her tongue to stop the stinging that came from the small breeze. Giving up, she plopped her head back down on the cushion and rested her useless arms at her sides. What had happened to her to make her so fragile?

As if the bizarre man heard her plea, he came over to her without a word and cleaned up her spill with flourish from a rag that he brought out of nowhere. "Don't worry about it, girly," he assured her, "it isn't your fault. You had a nasty fever for a few days and your muscles just burned away along with everything else. I don't know why you were out in that vile storm, but let me tell you, it probably wasn't one of your smarter decisions. Not even ANBU would want to be out there on a night like that."

Out of his whole pep speech, she had only understood maybe half of what he said. What the hell was an ANBU? An animal? Besides, it wasn't her choice to be there. The thoughts that the teenager had been trying to get rid of, came back at full force. Yes, she didn't have a choice at all. She had woken up there with nothing to call her own except her own clothes. Speaking of which, she noticed when the blankets pooled around her lap, she wasn't wearing what she remembered. The strange man was still talking to her over his shoulder, apparently not noticing that what he was saying was going through one ear and out the other. She cleared her throat in hopes of gaining his attention and to be rid of the clog that seemed to block her voice.

"Don't even get me started on-oh, yes?"

"I need," she cleared her throat again and gave a second try to prop herself up. This time she succeeded and a small sparkle presented itself in her eyes at her little accomplishment. "Where are my clothes?"

He beamed at her. "Well, she speaks! That's a step forward! The only things that I've been able to get out of you were mumbles when you tossed and turned in your sleep. That means that you're on the road to recovery! Oh, and about your clothes…they were wet." Here a blush formed on his tan cheeks and from what that stupid metal plate on his forehead didn't cover; she could see that sweat began to form in beads along his face. "An-and I had to, umm, give you some of my extras, which fit you great by the way! You look terrific in them! It matches the beautiful color of your eyes!"

She raised an onyx eyebrow at his nervous ranting and gave her now sitting self an once-over. Good God All-Mighty! She looked like…like him! How the hell could dark blue slacks, uneven by the way and same color undershirt complete with fishnet along with a swirly red design on the arms as well as the back look "terrific"? Hell, they were four sizes too big and hung off her left shoulder like a pair of pajamas. What color were her eyes anyway? The same navy color she was wearing?

"R-right, well, maybe that was a little bit of an exaggeration."

"You think?" She crossed her arms over her chest, ignoring the way the neck line dipped and the ridiculous way it made her look like a puny child playing dress up in her big brother's clothes. Well at least, she was getting better by the minute if she was snappish.

After a second of glaring at her…her rescuer, the girl sighed and uncrossed her arms. She owed this man a lot. Before he had said that she had been out for a few days and if he was still here then he must have taken care of her through her fever. A deep feeling inside her gut forbade her from being ruder than she had already been. She couldn't think of the word at the moment that made her feel guilty for taking advantage of his kindness but at the moment it didn't matter. The guy may look weird, but he must have a big heart to watch over her…like a parent.

At the thought, tears welled up in her eyes, causing her vision to blur. No, she forced herself, she couldn't cry any longer. Her memories were lost. There wasn't a damn thing she could do about it. So why the hell couldn't she make new ones. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, the girl strengthened her resolve and made a vow to put her forgotten past behind her. Right now, she could reminisce about the past later, she had amends to make with the man in front of her. His smile still stretched across her face and it warmed her heart little by little because she knew that it was directed at her. Putting on a new, confidant face and hesitantly grinning, she eyed her protector and tilted her head to the side in an innocent gesture.

"I want to thank you for your care even though I don't know why you bothered. Nevertheless, I appreciate it and hope that you don't believe in first impressions are important. I'm sure that the second will be better."

This time, smiling truly, the orphan stretched her hand out, palm open towards the man. Without a doubt, a half-gloved hand clasped her own and was slowly shaken up and down in acceptance.

"Let us hope for that. My nose needs time to heal."

Heat rose up to her cheeks turning them apple red and making her guardian bellow out a laugh. Their hands released each other and hers immediately went to balance her slanting body. Maybe she wasn't as healed as she thought she was.

"Alright, now it's time for a proper greeting. My name is Hoshi Nashitaka, Jounin ninja of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Konoha. May I ask for your name, girly?"

As soon as the blush came, it left and was replaced by a pale sheet. Her gaze directed itself towards the floor and her answer came at a mumble that the ninja had to lean in a bit to hear what she said.

"I-I don't know."

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Alright, that's it and I've got to say that I'm surprised that I've got this finished so quickly. Originally it was going to explain all about her, but I got caught up in other things that I so badly wanted to explain. Oh Well! It'll just have to be in Chapter Four and I promise that it will be in that one!

Don't forget to review and I just want to say thank you one more time for your support in my first Naruto fanfiction.

REVIEW!


	4. I've Always Wanted to Name Something

Here we are on Chapter number four and I've got to say that it's about time I got around to working on this. Honestly I've got this all planned out and yet I had no idea how to start this one. Fortunately I did and I'm sorry about the delay!

Thanks to all for my reviews and don't be stingy on giving a compliment here or there. Hell, I'll even take criticism because it means that my writing can only get better.

Disclaimer- 'grumble' these things are reeeaallly getting annoying, but I don't own Naruto only the ones that you don't recognize which include our nameless heroine (Who shall get a name in this chapter!) and Hoshi which means 'star' in Japanese. You'll see why I named him this later on in the story, probably in this chapter.

And now I shall snap my fingers and Naruto shall be mine! (Snap) Damn it, didn't work!

Quote- "Women will stop buying tea kettles when kettles stop merely whistling, and start yelling 'nice ass!'" (I cracked up laughing when I read this and I couldn't resist putting it in here! Thank you to anyone who made this up!)

On with the story!

Chapter Four

"I've Always Wanted to Name Something"

What is in a name? How is it important? Is it not just a word that which people call us by to distinguish us from many others around them? Somewhere in the universe is another being with the same name. So why is it special? Does it make us unique in the ways of the world? What about people who do not have something to call them by? What do they have if they have nothing, not even a name? Are they nobodies that are looked down upon from haughty noses and damning eyes? They couldn't be.

It is said in a religion that all beings on Earth were created equally and everyone has strengths and faults that distinguish us from the rest of humanity. Are names really important? Do they make us unique? The common ones, the strange ones, and even ones that have special meanings...what do they really give to a person? A feeling of importance, of originality?

How would we know others? Only when they present their name we know them. Complete strangers are nameless and are forgotten in the next moment. They are not worth the notice or the remembrance. Yet, for the humans we do know, if only their name, they become something within hearts of men and women. Other people noticed the ones hiding behind shadows of doubt, and became their ray of light in their darkened world of despair just because their name was spoken. They were acknowledged for who they were. Wouldn't they become the most precious person in their eyes?

It was all because someone took three seconds out of their time to give a greeting.

Now that one person would think twice about their decisions just because someone would care about them. Someone would remember them. Someone would mourn for that _one_ child or adult. Someone would never forget that one whispered sentence in a crowded world.

"_My name is…"_

Take time to say a greeting to the ones that passes by unnoticed because when the day ends and night falls, they are given too much time to think.

Learn their name because it might be the only thing they have, and when it is given, don't forget. Underneath the mask of sadness that is worn upon the faces of people, lies a new friendship that is waiting to blossom. And aren't the latest blooms that most beautiful of all?

(Insert Page Break Here. Ignore This And Continue Reading)

"Oh come on, girly, it isn't _that_ hard. Just concentrate and just…let it go."

"Oh, easy for you to say, Mr. I'm-a-freaking-_squirrel_-reincarnate!"

"Alright, alright kiddo. There's no need for name calling."

"Don't get me started! I'll give _you_ insults squirrelly man!"

"Oh ouch, I think you hurt my pride with that one."

"Oh shut u-ahhhh!"

With a scream, her control vanished and again the girl plummeted back down to the ground for the thirtieth time that day, at least. Her new sensai had decided to teach her chakra control, and his first suggestion was to walk up fifty kilometer high trees…without the use of her hands. Never before had she felt such…such animosity towards one person. Well, technically he was the only person at the moment that she had ever met before, but dammit he was frustrating!

Her back painfully connected with the ground but as least the fall wasn't from that far up. Storm blue eyes clenched in pain as the dust cloud that she had created settled down to reveal Hoshi grinning down at her with a beaming smile. He was mocking her. Honestly, the man never stopped grinning like an idiot, but deep down inside, behind that smile, he was laughing at her. He just had to be. No one could have this much patience with a dunce like her.

Her limbs felt like there were weighed down with several pounds of lead and her legs were as heavy as if someone was sitting on them. The girl tilted her head and saw that indeed someone was. She learned quickly that her oddball of a guardian had no meaning of personal space. Days of changing out in the open where she _thought_ no one was around, were over just as soon as Day One of Crash Course Ninja School began. Apparently, Hoshi had found her soaked body by means of an energy signal that had the strength rivaling that of a spotlight.

Now she wished that she had drowned in that rainstorm. This guy was just too cheery to be normal.

When the girl had woken up from a nightmare that was forgotten during the say, but came back at night, and had the feeling of life back in her body, it was decided that she needed training. Not knowing why, she was very excited at the chance to become a new person in this world. Hoshi had thought that she was from a ninja village, Konoha because of her screams of the demon fox. However, before her ninja life could begin, she had to learn the history where she was so called from. Throughout the whole time, the orphan was silent, just watching her guardian's worn face. At times his thin lips would twist into a grimace of regret and his sea green eyes would sparkle with the presence of tears.

He had said that his family was killed in the incident. Hoshi had a child of nine years of age, seven less than her own and a beautiful wife that he clamed was his one true love, his soul mate.

So because of his inability to shed tears for his fallen, she did it for him.

"_Why do you cry?" His softly whispered question came from beside her. _

_Not even did she bother to hide the evidence of her tears. Silently she turned to the man who had become her whole world in a matter of seconds and wrapped her fever-burned arms around his thin waist and buried her head into his muscled chest which came from years of intense training. She could feel him tense from the intimate contact, but her instincts told her to not release him. She could feel his pain. She wanted to make it stop._

"_Because I cry for you and I cry with you. You had a family. You had a life. But yet you lost it all. What if the same happened to me? Did I let myself mourn the deaths of my loved ones? I will never know, but I vowed to make myself a new life and that entitles going through happiness and sadness. Maybe the pain is still too fresh for you and the wound too great to heal, but..."_

_Her head lifted from his chest and red-rimmed eyes gazed into his own. She could see so much there. It seemed to be true, that old saying that Hoshi had told her. "Eyes are windows to the soul." From what she could see through that open window, his smiling face was just a mask to keep from other people to see his suffering. Right now, that fake smile was gone and the girl could see the true man beneath it. He was alone, just as much as her. _

"…_but maybe we can mend that rift together."_

_There, she had said it. For only the brief time that they were in each other's company, the nameless girl had wished for nothing more than a new start. That included a…a father figure. She wanted for him to be there with her. To make her laugh, to make her smile, to hold her when times were bad. She wanted new memories, ones that included him, her guiding star. Hoshi…her guardian, her north star in the overwhelming darkness. _

_Nobody moved and finally the ninja averted his gaze to the floor and she started to unravel herself from his body. At the last second, however, two hesitating arms wrapped around her back and tenderly brought her back to the warmth of his opening heart. This time, tears of happiness leaked from her storm blue eyes as she happily placed her head on his shoulder._

_She was safe in the arms of her father. _

Shaking away her thoughts, the girl concentrated on being angry. A growl reverberated from her throat and her left leg, her dominant side, swung up to try and knock him in the gut, but like always, she was too slow and him too fast for her to even come close.

A chuckle swept through the air and a finger was pressed against her sweat covered forehead. Her eyes crossed trying to disintegrate the offending object that was connected to the hand of her dictator. It didn't work apparently because it was still there, mocking her just as his smile was.

"Ah, girly, at least we know that you weren't born with the name of a bird. The many times that you've fallen were big clues," he deducted.

The man was a genius.

"Hell, you might be an earthworm! You're just as dirty as one and it seems that you like eating the ground. I think I'll call you…Kohana! Yeah, it's perfect! 'Little Flower' because you spring up from the ground like a daisy and no matter how many times I try to kill you, you pop right back up!"

A mighty sweatdrop fell from her head at his reasoning for her new name. Isn't it great that he spends so much time thinking of a name for his new victim, oh I mean, student and yet doesn't lift a finger to help he up the stupid tree? Hell, he could throw her up there and she'd just be as happy so that she could at least say that she saw the top! His determination for finding the perfect name for her was that he always wanted to name something before. Obviously the guy had never owned a dog and it really was degrading to actually point out that she did not want to be called Miss. Fluff.

Shaking her head to get rid of the pressure on her forehead, she brought her hands up in the signs of the zodiac and let loose one of the few jutsus that she was taught. Maybe she couldn't climb a damn tree, but she sure as hell could inflict pain! Hoshi saw the signs and immediately recognized the signaled technique, but didn't move. An aura the color of an amethyst gem surrounded her body and concentrated its pure energy at her crossed fingers.

"I'll show you a freakin' daisy," she yelled out triumphantly.

In a blink of an eye, in the span of less than a second, there was nothing on the sparring field. No clue as to where the ninja-in-training could have gone, except for a thin stick. Hoshi didn't even bother to move from his spot on the dirt where the many imprints of his kiddo had smothered the green grass. In fact, he looked up at the scarred tree where many kunai had left their mark in the bark. Maybe she didn't have very good chakra control, but she sure as hell had enough power to back up her _many _threats. The problem was that she was scared to not have her feet _super_-glued to the trunk and with too much she couldn't get very far.

The jounin sighed. She had to learn on her own. That was how he was taught by his own sensai. "_Words may point out mistakes, but the lesson sticks only when the student is injured enough to not do that stupid trick again._" So now he was passing that on. Hoshi just hoped that she didn't knock herself unconscious once again just out of sheer stubbornness.

A chuckle formed when a memory of one of his many suggestions for her new name came to mind. Because of her unwilling nature to give up, he had called her a donkey and the kid had taken offence to his comment when he explained what it was. Her face had gone so red in anger that he wasn't sure that her head could take that much pressure. Oh…he had gotten hit well. Girly there had one hell of a left hook. Hoshi sent out his chakra in hopes of spotting his student, wherever she was, before he got caught by surprise. She was cunning and didn't mind giving low blows in hopes of winning…which she never did but the girl kept trying. He remembered a lesson that he gave her about the guidelines of an honorable fight, but her smart-ass answer of "_I'm exploiting the weakness of my opponent. It doesn't matter if he's a man_" made him roll his eyes and shake his head. At least the kid was honest; blunt but honest and her wit was a sharp as her tongue.

As he waited for her to strike, the jounin continued to think. He had to return to Konoha, both of them. His extended leave could only last so long from his hometown. Girly really may have been one of the numerous victims of the nine tailed fox about four years ago now, but one thought kept bothering him at the back of his mind. She looked to be about sixteen, and she would have been twelve at the time of the incident. She should have graduated from the academy. With her chakra high and at such a level then she would've been training with her own sensai or might already be a chuunin.

He hadn't found any marks or items upon her body to suggest where her homeland was. There wasn't a hitai-ate anywhere on her as he guessed that she would have. The thought of her running away crossed his mind and then being robbed by rogue bandits came to mind. After getting to know her, however, Hoshi knew that such a thing couldn't happen with her attitude and her pride. Besides, there weren't any injuries upon her body except for a few minor scrapes and hypothermia.

She definitely was a mystery and he would be damned if he wouldn't spend the rest of his life trying to figure everything out about her. He may have missed her actually growing up from a child into adulthood, and his own kid had died too soon to find out what kind of person she would have turned out to be, but maybe his nightly prayers had been answered. She was a blessing. Underneath her crude mouth and overwhelming sarcasm, there was a pure gem that only needed a little polish around the edges to become a priceless treasure. And he would always keep her safe.

Suddenly, there was a rumbling coming from underneath him and the jounin instantly recognized the technique that she had used. He was surprised that girly had actually gotten that jutsu down so fast. In a flash of dirt came the kid like…a daisy, and clasped his shoulders to gain a hold before she swung her leg out to clock him one in the head. Too bad that he saw it coming. With a swipe of his hand, Hoshi caught the offending appendage and used the momentum that she already created to swing her around. The offender in question was now yelling out obscenities at her failed attack as well as him before she felt the hands that held onto her, release. Boy, did she go far.

She flew through the air like a bird and in a moment of pure bliss and triumph that she saw the top of the damned tree, the girl realized that gravity was always in play. Thankfully, her sensai had thrown her in the direction of the lake. Drawing in breath at the last possible moment, she practically cannonballed into the water creating a literal tidal wave that she hoped would at least get her guardian wet. Her feet touched the bottom and she used that to shoot up out of the lake to get a fresh breath of air. Black hair the color of a raven's wing flopped over her head and created a curtain that blocked her eyesight. Sighing in defeat, she dunked her head back under the water and smoothed it back before tiredly heading back to shore.

As her powerful strokes brought her closer to the sandbar, Hoshi decided to come to her.

"Hey! Swim like a normal person! Walking on water is just showing off," she yelled, offended at his level of skill that she could only now dream of achieving.

Yet he didn't laugh, not even did he smirk or rub it in her face. He looked serious and damn was it scary. Really, she was thinking of just turning right around and try to make it to the opposite side of the lake. Instead, she just watched as he came to a stop next to her and squatted down to put a hand on her soaked head. He looked intensely into her eyes before a humongous grin spread across his face and made the forming wrinkles at the edges of his eyes seem more prominent than ever.

"It's perfect," he whispered half to himself.

"What?"

"Your name. Amaya…it's perfect."

She looked amazingly up at him with question in her eyes. Where did he come up with that one? Looking around her to look for his source of inspiration, she only found water.

"Hey, if that has some meaning of a fish then I don't like it."

He laughed, "No, no, kiddo. It means 'Night Rain.'"

She raised a dubious eyebrow, "Where did that come from?"

"Just think for a second even though it might hurt." The girl growled at this. "I found you in that storm at nightfall and it only came to me when the water came up from your splash, which I give a nine by the way."

It was silent for a moment as she thought it over. Somehow, the name seemed familiar as if some part of it she had heard before. Besides, she liked it. The now dubbed Amaya gave a shining grin and popped out of the water to give her sensai a hug which threw him off balance and into the water with her. Hoshi came up spluttering and gave her a mock-glare.

"You did that on purpose."

She gave him an innocent smile, "Now why would I do that? I'm just an earthworm infested daisy. I'm too cute to pull a trick like that."

All around the field was the sound of their carefree laughter and screams of mock-terror as an all-out water war broke out between father and daughter.

(Insert Page Break)

I loved writing this chapter and I almost cried as I wrote about Hoshi's past. But I decided to break away from all the drama for a moment to put in something that would warm people's hearts. It did for mine. What's your opinion?

Next chapter coming soon! REVIEW!


	5. Her Guiding Star

I just realized that I broke the 10,000 word mark that I set for myself! Now I just have to set the bar higher and if this story keeps going as I plan for it to…who knows how long it'll be! Hell, I haven't even gotten her to Konoha! Which will be in the next chapter, not this one!

Now you're going to find out about real life and how Fate works her hand. Be ready for her unforgiving nature.

Disclaimer- …(grumble) I REFUSE TO RUB THIS FAILURE IN MY FACE!

Quote- "True beauty shines from the soul and warms the world with its_ kindness, compassion_, and _integrity_."

Chapter Five

Her Guiding Star

When something goes wrong in our lives, sometimes we scream out that it isn't fair, and then the person next to you automatically points out that _life_ isn't fair. It shall never be. The world wasn't created to make ones life heaven because our idealistic place is different for everyone and we cannot all live in separate dimensions. It just doesn't work that was and it shall never be.

Fate works in mysterious ways and in the breath of a second, another life is crushed beneath her unforgiving heel whether they are guilty or innocent. It does not matter to her as we are all mortal souls. True love can be ripped away and torn apart in an instant without remorse. Family members die, best friends move away, but life goes on. Wars are fought with like pawns on a chessboard and many pieces are sacrificed to reach the ultimate goal, victory. Though are the lost really worth it; the pieces thrown about carelessly and no matter how much time has past, they are still lost? They can never be replaced or brought back the same if they were damaged.

The blame is placed upon others when something goes incredibly wrong because it is never our fault. We are mortals, we live to make mistakes. It is our fault and it shall _forever_ be. That does not mean that the pain from a passed on soul can ever go away. It cannot. The wounds however can be healed though some never have enough time to completely form new skin over the wound. Some remain forever scabbed over, blocked from further injury but always a reminder that the process isn't complete.

However, filling the hole with the hopes of a new beginning, of starting over, can provide the healing needed to continue on with life.

Never give up for miracles are all around us with angels watching our every step on the path of life.

And not all angels are in the forms of ethereal beings with wings, sometimes they can be that one person that catches you when you fall. They are looking out for you.

Never give in for Fate is not written in stone and at every path there is a forked road. Take the one less traveled.

(Insert Page Break Here. Ignore This And Continue Reading)

"I _hate_ you, squirrelly man."

It was silent for a moment before a loud thunk presented itself in the quiet forest.

"Cheer up, Daisy!"

"Stop calling me that!" The girl indignantly interrupted, grumbling while rubbing her now sore shoulder that her sensai had brutally abused. Ever since she attacked him with her Earth jutsu, the man hadn't stopped calling her that "affectionate" nickname. Oh, he knew that it annoyed the hell out of her. He definitely knew from the scowls she sent his way and the many promises of bodily harm that would be inflicted upon him, but he continued anyway. She personally thought that he liked to just see how many times he could say it without her rounding on him and getting in their daily spar.

So far they've had at least five a day. Sometimes, it went up to seven and on those days her fuse was oh so very short with her "mature adult father" and he usually made her end up hanging upside down from a branch.

Two days afterwards, Amaya had mastered tree climbing after getting it into her head that the sapphire sphere that imprisoned her amethyst flames could be broken into and drawn out in small increments. Water walking however needed working on. Of course her first try were on rapids, but there wasn't another source of water anywhere near them at the time and it was the best that they could do at the moment. She had failed miserably. But now she was sure that if the time came, the girl would know how to swim, and if needed be, shoot out of the water like a cannon for an aerial attack. Amaya learned this when she fell in and was swept away by the current. And if you must know, the water was _freezing_ cold!

The both of them had been training every day now for almost every hour that filled the day. The jounin wanted his pupil to be the best that she could be. Amaya's reasoning was that if he banged her on the head enough times, her memory would finally come back and with them came the knowledge on how to kick his ass. Hoshi highly doubted that would ever happen, but to just disprove her theory, he kicked her into the wall of a nearby house. It didn't work and the ninja-in-training had a five second concussion. The only apology she got for her pain was a shrug and a pat on the head…which only made her crouch in pain from the banging inside her skull.

The both of them now had been walking for a few days, maybe a week now, towards her guardian's hometown. Amaya was walking blind. She had no idea where she was going, but at times she couldn't care less about it. Other times, the ninja-in-training often wondered if Hoshi suffered from brain trauma as a child. It would really explain some of the…odd things that he did. Like his forms of punishments included her being tied up to a tree, or hanging upside down from it.

"Anyway," he continued, "I've got a proposition for you…"

Before the jounin could finish however, "Daisy" just had to interrupt, "I am _not_ going to be your distraction again no matter how many promises of new jutsus you give me!"

He sighed, "I wasn't going to-"

Amaya rounded on him, pointing a finger in his face with a growl forming in her throat. "Nope! I'm not going to fall for it this time! When this sort of subject came up before, it included me running around like a chicken with its head cut off just so you could get away without paying for dinner!"

Her teacher just sheepishly grinned, "Well, it seems that I've…misplaced-"

"That was your excuse last time we stopped in a town! Oh, and how is it that I seem to be washing dishes every time you plan out one of your _brilliant_ schemes?"

"Umm, bad luck I guess?" he answered with a hand behind his head and a blush starting to form on his weathered cheeks. His hitai-ate covered his entire head, sometimes drifting into his laughing sea green eyes. The man may be clueless at times, but he did have a big heart. He just had to have one, if just for taking an amnesiac girl into his life.

They continued to fight with one another, father and daughter, although it seemed as if their relationship was entirely different, almost like brother and sister. It seemed that neither had a high maturity level. Amaya's pointed out that was because of her not knowing how to act. Hoshi on the other hand had no excuse. He was just weird, caring but weird all the same.

Their journey to Konoha was not all fun and games…to Amaya. Her Guardian thought that it was hilarious when he pinned her to random trees with his kunai and shuriken. At times he would want to make "snow angels"; however this included a mud hole and the impressions of her body, causing her need to have many fresh clothes. Her favorite outfit for today included baggy navy pants with odd pockets covering them here and there. The girl couldn't believe how many weapons she could hide under her person! Her top included that of one of her sensai's jounin shirt with the red swirls since hers had already gotten torn from shuriken practice.

Not even did Amaya know how to sow, but the man decided to see how many holes he could put in her without drawing blood. Sometimes she could swear that she was not just his student, but his experiments for the book he must be writing, called "101 Ways to Make Student Shish-Kebab".

But of course her genius of a father "misplaced" his money…or he never had any. Anyways it was usually up to her to ask for odd-jobs around the villages that they stayed at to pay for her toiletries.

Fortunately, it was not for nothing. Now she had the skills if she wanted to become a carpenter. Amaya couldn't recall how many shingles on a rood that she had to repair, or the numerous times that she banged her finger with the hammer. Hoshi had told her that ever Genin had to go through this, so he assigned her "missions". Babysitting, cooking, cleaning, walking pets or finding lost ones, and the one she could never forget was the incident with the rat infestation of a shabby apartment. It turned out that her sensai was deathly afraid of mice. The man could jump through a burning building, infiltrate a highly secure base, and assassinate dangerous criminals without a blink of his jade eyes, but he couldn't come within ten feet of a rodent. Both of them knew that the other would never live that down.

So their two week journey became a month's worth of walking and training. There was nothing that she would rather do. Every day the two became closer and after every sparring session, the girl was given a hug and a loving kiss to the top of her head.

There was no explaining how much her heart lifted when that one person gave her a smile that showed he cared. No one else mattered in the world as long as he was there to guide her when she became lost. Maybe she would never know how much she herself changed Hoshi's own world, but maybe someday she would know, but for now, these little things only brought them closer together.

"Well, you're the most unlucky squirrel-man I've ever met."

With her comment, the two began to walk again in silence. The silence part was what worried Amaya. Since when did Hoshi let her get away with her comments? He always had a retort to her sarcasm and insults. Was he alright? Something was up. Her light footsteps on the nonexistent path of the forest crunched intentionally on a nearby stick that echoed throughout. Not even did one bird stir within the confines of the trees. Eyes of the storm casually swept around her, marking every leaf and every branch. Nothing, she could tell was out of place. However, no matter how many times she tried to shrug off the utter creepiness, shivers ran up and down her spine making the hair at the back of her neck stand on end.

Something was wrong.

Her usual nerves of steel began to bend a bit under her weariness. There were enemies about so why didn't they show themselves? Were they looking for the opportune moment? How strong were they, and how many? Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Amaya examined her sensai with a lazy eye. From a common viewpoint, the guy looked completely at ease with his surroundings as if not a care in the world bothered him. However, as her eyes drifted off, an absent scratch to the back of his head put the ninja-in-training on guard. He had signaled with three fingers, thumb, forefinger, and middle, and his pinky was pointing straight up into the canopy.

Stretching her hands up high into the air with fingers outstretched, she yawned and then brought them back down to Earth again. It seemed like a pointless gesture, but when her hands had begun to fall, Amaya had unlatched the straps of her kunai and shuriken holders that were hidden among her body with a simple flick of her wrist. If Hoshi had even bothered to tell her how many enemies were around, then it was something to worry about and the girl wanted to be as prepared as she could be. Now she could see how far she had advanced. However, she thought as her eyes closed to summon her chakra, all battles, no matter their size, were entirely different from training. The enemy was unpredictable and wouldn't stop short of killing to gain a victory.

And neither would she. Hoshi was too important to her for a conscience to grow. If it came to it, the girl vowed, she would kill. Besides, isn't that what ninjas did? It was in their way, their nindo; their code and their way of life. Maybe it was not right to take away life when it was just beginning to live. Survival of the fittest came into play and with it came the rules which meant that the stronger lived to see another day while the weak died. That was how it worked. Amaya had no control over how the world worked, but the one thing that she could do was to change the laws to her favor. She did not have to like it, but to just learn to deal with it.

_I'm ready._

As soon as her eyes opened, the horrible truth of war revealed itself. It was an ambush! Everything was in chaos and for a second all the girl could do was stand dumbly with wide eyes at the enemy. Not even did she have time to fully blink before a smirking face came into her line of sight with a kunai coming straight for her. Relying purely on her instincts, her fingers snapped up a pair of her own weapons and blocked the blow by crisscrossing the blades as they had done many times before in her spars. With the deflected blow, Amaya shook her head to be rid of distracting thoughts and entered the fray of battle with a determined look upon her face.

Only sparing a quick glance in her sensai's direction to see him taking on two…ninjas on his own. The symbol that was displayed upon their forehead was one that she had not seen before. It was a single musical note upon a metal background. Sidestepping then ducking under a combination of kicks and punches, her attention was forced back into her match right before a fanged snake came hurling right towards her, poison spitting from its mouth. Absently, Amaya smirked at the oncoming jutsu and flipped her hands into the seal of the horse (Uma) with fingers interlocking within one another, and then instantly into the fearsome tiger (Tora) with fingers pointed underneath her mouth. Drawing a deep breath and swirling her chakra into both her palms and lungs, she unleashed her attack.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!" (Flame Type: Powerful Fireball Technique)

Expelling her breath, and instead of air came a great burst of fire that consumed the Snake. Her mouth shut as her chakra immediately depleted from its usage, but it did its job. Maybe a little too well. Around her the forest burned from her incredible attack. Before, she had planned to use it against Hoshi as a surprise attack, but it worked just as well in this match. Actually, Amaya was a little surprised that it worked so well, but she put it off because she figured that since her chakra symbolized a flame, she must specialize in fire.

Unfortunately, her technique came at a sacrifice and because of her streak of overconfidence; the price that she had to pay was much too high. Her inexperience in the real world left her vulnerable. The Snake had been a diversion. A trick into tempting her to block it instead of dodging. It worked only too well. From behind her came the hold of death. A hand clasped around her neck and slammed her into the trunk of an old oak. Her back painfully connected with its bark and a warm river began dripping down her side. Struggling for all that the little ninja was worth, Amaya worked to free herself, using anything that she could think of to be let go. However, the grip around her throat was too strong and was cutting off her air supply which became emptier at each attempt too release herself.

The other hand of her attacker rose up and gripped her chin, forcing her eyes to meet his own. Her hands which were clawing at her prison, stilled at the monster she was looking at and dropped down beside her. The eyes that were a window to the soul. Hoshi's were a portal that brought her into the illusion of a field of grass that stretches on for miles and miles. A picture of innocence but what hides in the field is the predators of his past. What was there chilled her to this very day. These were the eyes from her nightmare. The slit pupils paralyzed her, drawing her into a void of helplessness. Since Amaya had woken up in this strange place, she felt fear. A hiss emitted from her captor's throat and out drew a forked tongue that slithered around her face as if smelling her. The clawed fingers clenched tighter around her windpipe cutting off any possibility of breathing in air.

"I hate spies; they always seem to get in the way. The punishment is death for their interference." The way that his words were spoken caused a chill to race down her spine. She was truly afraid of this…this monster. What was he speaking of, though? Her "missions" had not included his alleged accusation of spying. "However," he hissed with his tongue waving about in the air. "You do not seem familiar. Maybe by giving you a small demonstration of what my ninjas do to spies, you'll never be _tempted_ to do the same."

He blinked and his hypnotic spell released her from its clutches as well as his hand which prevented her from breathing. Instead he pinned her to the tree and moved to the side to begin a new nightmare that will haunt her for many years to come. There was her teacher, her guardian, her father. He was held in the arms of the other two ninjas that he had been fighting almost moments before. His body was sagged over and his breath ragged as if only drawing air into his lungs was a deathly chore. Blood dripped from all over his body. Various weapons were lodged in his body. One of his legs bent at the wrong angle and a hole was punctured into the left side of his chest with fang marks marking the entry wound. His once proudly worn Hitai-ate had been ripped from his head and brown hair that matched the earth spilled from his head in rivulets. He truly was a handsome man. Worthy of a hero's death. Tears filled her storm blue eyes, but nothing else could be done. Her body seemed to shut down on itself at seeing Hoshi like this. A whimper escaped her throat, her mind denying what was right before her.

Shakily, her father's head lifted up form his chest and stared right at her, his beautiful emerald orbs partly glazed over. A smile slowly began to form on his face and a twinkle in his eyes chased away the grayness of death. She knew that he wouldn't live, but she couldn't believe it. She wouldn't accept it. Not even Fate could be that cruel. His mouth opened to speak to her but a cough racked his body and blood ran down his chin and collected in a puddle beneath him. Cruel chuckles filled the clearing and the source was right next to her ear.

"Konoha's ninjas are truly pathetic, are they not? Kill him."

As the arm rose to strike the killing blow, something inside Amaya's body snapped. The blue ring that imprisoned her purple fire shattered once more like on the day of her appearance here. It blazed wildly encompassing her entire being until it manifested itself outside her body. Her storm blue eyes bled into Amethyst and a heart-wrenching scream tore from her throat in a primal roar. How Dare This Monster Take Something Away From Her! HE HAD NO RIGHT! The hand that had held her captive recoiled back from the painful violet flames that surrounded the girl. With lightning fast speed, Amaya tore herself from her prison and shot her arm out and skewered the Sound Ninja, which held her father, through the chest. Let him suffer Hoshi's pain, she thought. The man died instantly with his eyes open in shock before being incinerated by her wildfire. What were left of him were only ashes that blew away into the wind. The other one immediately fled into the trees to escape her lust for revenge.

Forgetting the coward for the moment, her head slowly turned to glare at her own opponent who only watched her with calculating eyes. He was the cause for this. HE made this happen! HE was _responsible_ for her pain!

"Who are you to be surprisingly strong at a young age? I recognize no resemblance to that corpse. And surely that foolish old man would not let a ninja of such power slip under his nose."

The monster silently stepped closer and with each step, his foul presence threatened to swallow her within itself. Her Amethyst flames rose up in anger and warning for him to not come an inch farther. Thankfully, her threat forced him to remain still, but his words were free to poison the air around them.

"I, however, do not plan to make the same mistake. With me, your chakra could reach new heights; surpass any idiot warrior with ease. You only need to join me to gain absolute power. I am Orochimaru, the next leader of this age. What is your answer to my offer?"

"I am the Rain that comforts the helpless. I am the Night that protects the weak. I am Amaya, daughter of Hoshi Nashitaka. And I am the shadow that shall forever be chasing at your heels. I call for your death Orochimaru and not even your snakes can prevent me from crushing you beneath my heel like the slithering coward that you are! That is my answer!"

"Hn. Hn. Hn. Very well, little one."

Without blinking an eye, the monster appeared behind her bringing down his hand upon her neck, ignoring the burns caused by it. Her flames disappeared and she dropped like a stone onto the forest floor.

"We shall meet again and until then, remember these words: _Through power we gain victory and the weak are eliminated until only the strong remain_."

(Insert Page Break)

Crystal like tears fell one by one onto the mound of earth that covered the body of her dear father. In her hands she clutched the Daisies that were her offering to the dead. A stone slab sat upon the grave with the words _'Here Lies Hoshi Nashitaka, Beloved Husband, and Loving Father.'_ It wasn't much, but it was all she could think of in her grief. Carefully laying her flowers down one at a time until there was sixteen; Amaya gave her prayers for his safe journey in the afterlife. Beside her were all his possessions that the girl would give to any of his family. Her left hand clenched the symbol of the ninja before tying it wearily on her forehead. She finally stood up from her knees, absently brushing off the dirt that had collected on her pants from the many hours of kneeling.

Picking up Hoshi's Jounin vest and being mindful of the purple bruises that depicted the image of a handprint slipped it on and tearfully zipped it up. She threw both their packs over her shoulders and saying a final goodbye, Amaya made the journey to Konoha, alone. Maybe her body on the mortal plane had no one around her, but in her heart she held the loving memory of her dear guardian, her teacher, and her guiding star. She looked up into the sky and picked out the shining light that would lead her north and absently thought that it was twinkling back at her, like Hoshi's eyes did whenever he looked at her.

She would never forget him and when she reached his hometown, Amaya would make sure that everyone else knew of the hero that was her father.

(Insert Page Break)

OH MY GOD! I cried writing this! I cannot believe that I typed this up! How could I do that! Don't worry, things will get better!


	6. A Field of Broken Dreams

Here we are! Chapter Number 6! Woohoo!

I am so sorry for the late update, but I got a new story idea that I just had to start. It is a Yu Yu Hakusho fanfiction and maybe, just maybe I'll post it. It seems that SOME PEOPLE only read this story and don't leave any reviews! C'mon! Give me some SUPPORT!

Anyways, so we're finally here at Konoha and with the death of her only family that she could remember. Our heroine has taken the vow of revenge. Of her own will, Amaya has chosen the path of self-destruction of a man who had the power and authority to control the most bloodthirsty ninjas.

How will her first steps within the gates of Konoha change her?

And what of the people inside? Could they save our precious Daisy from her choice? Maybe, just maybe, a small, orphaned child can open her eyes to see the truth.

Because how can we measure our life through our pain when the sufferings of others go unnoticed?

Disclaimer- My notes just killed the mood of a ridiculous disclaimer so I won't even bother because we all know that it doesn't belong to me.

Quote- "Love does not make your world turn around; love is what makes the ride worth a while."

Chapter Six

A Field of Broken Dreams

"_Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have my wish granted tonight."_

What is a wish? A wanting for a fantasy that we do not have? What of the legends of mystic wish granters that can make anyone's wild dreams come true? Do they even exist? Would we want them to?

All our ambitions are different. One naïve mind could want their mother back from the clutches of death. It is granted. The grief of others who suffered from her passing, celebrate in joy for her miraculous return to the living. Yet, now, in the beyond, the place of eternal happiness has lost one of its angels who guard our souls from the afterlife. Now the mother's place in the beyond has been taken from her. What if, when her body grows older, she is to die once more? Already her soul has been through the Journey and her rights to the Beyond have been granted once before. She cannot have the same choice twice. That one child's wish has damned the one person who the child loved enough to bring back from her grave.

Would your own choice follow the naïve's child? If your loved one died, would you believe that you would do anything to bring him or her back onto the mortal plane. The place where pain is real, the place where dreams are shattered and lives are broken…would this mortal Earth be one where you would want to live? There can only be one wish. Would yours include this one? To sacrifice your loved one's happiness to cease the sadness in your heart? Or would your grief be a small price to pay to allow a soul to wander free for all eternity?

Someday, the both of you shall be together. Would you honestly have the patience to wait for that one day, or would your needs be selfish enough to put yourself first?

This is just one of the many wishes that beings dream of. What is yours? Is your wildest dream to be famous, to have wealth, to be beautiful, to be smart, or to be like everyone else so that you do not have to feel different in a crowded room?

Would you rather have this temptation to have anything you want, or to not the choice be given at all?

For ignorance really is bliss.

What would you give to have anything you wanted? What would be the consequences of altering ones destiny?

Would it be worth the deadly risk?

(Insert Page Break Here. Ignore This And Continue Reading)

It was not a long journey towards Konoha; they could not have been far from their destination. Even with Amaya's slow pace, it had taken her only two days to reach the forbearing gates that loomed over her and cast her grief-stricken body into shadow. Absently, the beauty stunned her into an awed silence, but it seemed that too many things clouded her mind to make her actually see it. There was no color in her life; all she could see was grey.

Nothing mattered.

The sky above her seemed alive. Her surroundings were filled with noises from birds of song to the occasional cloud that hovered above her mimicking shapes of every day life. Twinkling stars of the night had left her and would not come again until hours later. All the girl could do was wait for that time, and then she would mourn her father. It seemed a ridiculous thing to do, but it made it easier for her grief.

Hoshi…he was her guiding star and now his soul was in the heavens, an angel in the dark sky. Maybe he was watching over her. _If only he could see me now_, she thought, _I'm nothing but a sniveling child who cannot get their way. Life is not fair, and I know that._ Amaya tilted her head and out of the corner of her eye she saw two guards whose faces were hidden by ornate masks that resembled animals. Nods from both of them confused her for a moment or two, but a stray wind blew her midnight hair around her that had grown to reach her elbows and cast her bangs into her eyes.

The headband, they recognized it. They thought she was one of their own. Oh, how wrong they could be.

_I don't belong anywhere._

Because of her, one of this village's protectors had died and not even could she bring his body back for a proper burial. His corpse would stay buried in an unknown part of this country. Gates that appeared to be miles high, opened ever so slowly, giving Amaya a small sliver of an image of what treasure lied inside. As the twin doors yawned wider, the village came into appearance. A gasp caught in her throat at the sheer beauty of it and tears welled up in her storm blue eyes, but not even did she dare to even let one fall. Schooling her face into an emotionless mask that developed on the path here, she nodded in thanks to the gate guards and calmly walked inside with steady steps.

They would not be allowed to see her weak. No more would her heart be willing to open for another. The pain was just too great…but the reward was no small portion. With the orphan's time spent in her Star's company, the elation she felt made her body feel like it was gliding along a trail of feathers. His love that he gave to her could not be replaced by any other. The roaring Amethyst blaze within her had dulled down to a dying ember. It was as if it was symbolizing the pain that she felt. Her will to continue further had dwindled down to almost nothing. Along the way here, training that had Amaya on her toes at all times had become non-existent. The only time when her scarred fingers caressed the smooth metal of a Kunai, happened only when her stomach made itself known. Her need for consumption overrode her grief, but it only lasted for so long. When her hunger had been sated, the memories would return.

But they were only filled with her sensai. It was only him that she saw in her mind's eye. The way his Emerald eyes sparkled with mischief when he planned something that would not end well for his pupil. His glee-filled smile would shape itself into a smirk or an even wider grin that seemed to reach his forming wrinkles around his eyebrows. Hoshi refused to tell her his age, so Amaya took it into her hands to find out.

"_Come on old man. Tell me," begged a black haired teen whom had her tangled locks pulled to the side in twin tresses to keep it away from her face when the two ninjas sparred._

_The old man in question sighed in exasperation, but refused to give into the puppy dog look. When Amaya knew that she wasn't going to get an answer, she leapt into the tree right in front of Hoshi and hooked her knees around the overhanging branch so that she could hang from it. _

"_Then I'll guess!" Putting a finger to her chin, while hanging upside down from it in mock-thought, the ninja-in-training voiced her guess. "You have to be…fifty-two!"_

_The next thing that the girl knew the branch that only her legs kept her from falling from gave way and caused her to collapse to the ground. Her body was sprawled ungracefully in the dirt. She grumbled to herself for her choosing to climb up a weak branch. However, another look to the tree made her boil in anger. Those were Shuriken marks! Jumping to her feet, Amaya pointed an accusing finger at her sensai's retreating back. _

"_Hey, just because you're an old fart doesn't mean you can kill off the YOUNGER generation!"_

_With her comment, Amaya had to duck fast to avoid more sharp objects that threatened to put holes in her. Her head raised and turned to look behind her to see a wide selection of weapons. _

"_Heh, heh, maybe I was off just a little bit."_

Oh how she loved to get Hoshi riled up. The man was too calm to be normal. He would have made a great father. His seven year old child would have grown up well if she had survived the massacre. If her father was any clue, then her mother had to have been an angel to actually marry the guy.

Out of the corner of her eye, the girl spotted a pair of running children with forehead protectors shining brightly when the sun's rays caught the gleaming metal. The kid's hands were linked together and skipping around the village shouting at the tops of their lungs that they had graduated. A father in the background puffed heavily trying to catch up with them, but the jubilation that pair of kids felt, bubbled over and formed into ear piercing screeches that made Amaya wince. Only a small lift at the corner of her chapped lips, betrayed what she was feeling. She loved the little munchkins as they could only remind her of the past that she couldn't remember. The teenager loved to try and make up her childhood that was constantly filled with loving parents and blessed ignorance and innocence that seemed to make up their lives. In reality, she would never remember, but it was nice to pretend.

Now here she was, four years too late to meet her adoptive father's family. She wondered who they were, what they were like late at night when she was supposed to be fast asleep in her futon. Her wyes would constantly gaze at the stars, looking for anything new to learn from; her mind forever thinking of the future and how it would be to live happily with Hoshi. At times, Amaya would picture them doing simple things like going shopping for groceries, or just lazing about the house that they would share. They could be together and she would finally get the love that she had always dreamed of. Never did she believe that death would come into play.

Not even did she get to say goodbye, or to say "I Love You" one more time. The rift that the both of them would mend would only be up to her to heal.

A sound so familiar to her, forced the girl to raise her head from its downcast position and turn to the side to catch the disturbance again. There, it happened again and she knew it to be no mere accident. Casting her gaze around, Amaya looked for the source and landed on a small, blond head. Her eyes softened instantly at the boy whose soft whimpers escaped unknowingly from his throat. The breeze lifted again, blowing fallen tears away from the child's red cheeks and shifting his spiky sunshine hair with the caress of a mother. Speaking of, there seemed to be no one around looking after him. Was he lost?

The boy continued to silently suffer with his bare feet lightly touching the sand beneath the swaying swing. His toes drew pictures in the dirt while slowly pushing up and down to gain a small bit of momentum. The whole park seemed abandoned. Why was he alone? And why did her heart ache when an image of her mourning came to mind? Could they be the same?

It was not right to see an angel cry.

Throwing caution into the wind, Amaya quietly walked over and carefully sat down in the wooden swing next to the kid. She didn't disturb him and just swayed back and forth giving him silent comfort. What could she say? She may love little kids, but the girl had only seen them laughing and playing about. This was a side she had yet to see in another person, especially a small child. Her mission to the Hokage would have to wait. Somehow this was all too important. Too much did this remind her of Hoshi and herself. Maybe, Amaya didn't truly lose him if she saw a bit of his spirit in this boy.

After a few moments, the crying blond realized that he wasn't alone and almost fell off the swing in surprise when he saw an older girl sitting next to him, just staring. What could she be looking at? Was he so hideous and monstrous that unfamiliar people had to glare at him so with hateful eyes? His own eyes clenched in pain at the thought, and was prepared to save this pretty lady from looking at him by running away. A hand upon his small shoulder caused him to emit a gasp and to stare up at who had dared to touch him. Her grip…it wasn't painful and her smiling face told him that she wasn't going to hit him. Was she different from everyone else?

As soon as that angelic face met her own, Amaya had to stop herself from enveloping him in a hug. Those eyes…they were so much like her own. A brilliant blue that put the sky to shame. Tear tracks marked his cheeks along with strange slashes that caused her to raise an onyx eyebrow.

"Why are you crying?" Her voice came out softly, startling the boy into almost jumping.

_Why did she care?_

"'M not crying!" He yelled rebelliously.

A soft thumb marred with various scratches stroked his cheeks, swiping away any trace of tears, but also accomplished smudging some dirt that managed to get on him. Another few strokes of gentle fingers, erased the streaks of mud as well and the hand fell back again on his shoulder.

"Now you aren't kiddo."

And he wasn't. His eyes cleared and he could clearly see the pretty lady in front of him. He roamed her face, taking in every detail of his savior and stopped on the metal plate. She was a ninja! A glance at her green vest told him that she was a high ranking ninja! She was so cool!

Amaya chuckled at the boy's lit up expression as he took in her ninja equipment. Too bad that it wasn't even hers. She wasn't even from here. The kid was just too adorable with his enormous smile that showed his baby teeth, that the ninja-in-training couldn't open her mouth to tell him the truth. He didn't have to know. Besides, after she spoke with the Hokage, she would wander around the countries. When Hoshi died, so did her chance at finding a place to belong. No one would take in an amnesiac teenager with assassin skills. She hated dresses or anything that limited her movements, so finding another job would be difficult indeed. Amaya couldn't live off scraps that she got from chores.

She knew that she couldn't get attached to the boy, but only another glance forced her mind to push away thoughts of the future and only lie with the present. Her past had been forgotten once before, why couldn't it happen again, if only for a little while?

"C'mon kid," she called. "Let's get something to eat, I'm starving."

A growl emitted from his belly and a laugh escaped before she could hold it in.

"And I guess that I have to feed you too."

That brilliant smile lit up his face again. Amaya couldn't see why anyone would cause this kid to cry, but when she was around, it wouldn't happen again. Standing up and cracking her neck, the girl swooped down and lifted the boy by the middle and placed him on her shoulders but not without running her fingers across his belly. Shrieks of laughter filled the abandoned park as well as sounds of chuckles. People that passed by, stared at the two in complete shock and didn't even move to allow her to move past them.

"So, what's your name kiddo?"

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto and I'm going to be the greatest ninja alive!"

A smile crossed her face at his dream and how it corresponded with her own.

"Well, if you're going to shoot for the moon, you might as well become the Hokage."

It was silent for a moment as the boy thought about her suggestion. Amaya took this time to look for a place to chow down. She really was hungry and tired of eating rabbit. Before she set out again, she was going to get something good in her belly. A yell from above her almost caused Amaya to lose her balance and topple over.

"YEAH! Naruto Uzumaki, the next Hokage!"

"Believe it," she added when her ears ceased to ring.

His laughter overrode the noises of everyday life about them.

Small hands clasped her around her neck, sending shocks of pain through her when they grasped the fading bruises that were left upon her. It's in the past, she told herself, forget about it and enjoy today. His hug filled her heart with joy and a caring smile chased away anything that could ruin this moment. Besides, nothing could rain on them when the sun was out. And today was the brightest of all as Amaya danced around with the sun on her shoulders.

(Insert Page Break)

Well, this wasn't as good as I hoped it to be, but I didn't have the heart to change it, or make it longer. The ending was just too perfect to ruin it with more words. I hope you enjoyed this and I again apologize for the late update. Get ready for Chapter Seven!


	7. I'm a Woman Dammit

And what do you know, here's Chapter Seven!

And to let you know…School SUCKS! ARRGGHH! I've got three essays due in Physics, English, and History all due by Tuesday and that means NO computer time for me! This late update is because of my responsibilities to the living hell known as…education! DAMN YOU!

I hope some of you are happy, because there are less descriptive paragraphs and more action and dialogue. This chapter is VERY important because…

Kakashi is in this one! Finally!

Now remember that this is WAY before the series even starts, and I think that I've got all the early facts straight. Like the ages of the Uchiha brothers when the massacre begins. Also, our beloved scarecrow is ANBU still, and Obito has died. Poor Obito! Don't you just love the guy?

Right…moving on…

As you can probably tell, many items in this story are like the Original Naruto series and there is a reason for that! The skills and lessons that Amaya learns are passed on to the next generation so that they show up later.

Example: Naruto's "Believe it!" as well as his dream to become Hokage.

Now, this one is kind of important (not really), but I wanted to add it to make sure that you might have caught it, and if you did, Congratulations! You got a COOKIE!

Here it is…did you notice that I put Amaya's hair style into twin tresses? Pigtails? YES! If you haven't caught on, then let me explain…SEXY NO JUTSU! Yup! That is where he came up with the idea to some parts of the female umm…anatomy. Oh, and for future reference, Naruto had accidentally walked in on her while Amaya was in the shower…I just had to add this because it just came to me as to why I did that!

Okay, now I know that I usually put in a couple of paragraphs that get you thinking, but this chapter would be WAY too lengthy if I did that, so I'll just skip it for now. Get ready for a LONG chapter as an apology for not updating.

Disclaimer- …nope…still not mine…

Quote- "Behind this smile is everything you'll never understand." (Doesn't this remind you of Naruto?)

OKAY, ENOUGH WITH ALL THE SAD, DREARY STUFF! LET THE HUMOR COME INTO PLAY!

Chapter Seven

"I'm a Woman Dammit!"

This man just had to be the most infuriating being on the entire planet! As soon as Amaya had walked through the doors with a smile on her face, this-this asshole decided to ruin her day! Her visit to the Hokage was very important, and no matter how many times she played the nice, shy girl with her polite questions, the guy completely ignored her! The directions that she had to follow to get here came from a four year old and required a lot of translation and turnabouts to find this place. It was hard enough without him giving her a hard time about this!

After her little ball of sunshine had pointed out a restaurant that he liked, a place called Ichiraku that had to have the best Ramen anywhere in this country, she had to leave. Amaya had paid for their meal with the last of her money that she had collected from her odd jobs, but not for a second did she regret spending it on Naruto. If she could have, Ice-cream would have been their special treat for the day, but the girl simply couldn't afford it. After today, however, it wouldn't matter. The boy and she would part ways, and that brilliant smile which she automatically responded with one of her own, would be missed desperately.

He was a blessing in disguise, and Amaya was shamed that other people couldn't see it. Yes, she had noticed the glares and the hateful stares that could only be directed at her munchkin. Her existence here was practically unknown and when she had passed by alone, all she got were polite nods, and maybe a wave of greeting from the working civilians. When her eyes settled on the small child, all she saw was pure innocence and a will to survive that surpassed all others. Always he was there to brighten up anyone's day with just a grin. Amaya's favorite part about him was his sparkling, sapphire orbs that twinkled with delight at every little thing. There was no danger surrounding this boy. Nothing about him could draw such animosity from the villagers.

The two of them had parted with bone-crushing hugs and a delicate kiss had been given to Naruto right on top of his mass of golden spikes that tickled her nose. Almost immediately after that, a beautiful blush had flooded his cheeks, and adding to his growing embarrassment, she laughed. Not since Hoshi's death had mindless giggles escaped her with ease. Knowing the little boy for only a few hours, he had already claimed a piece of her heart that Amaya was sure that Naruto could keep. Nothing could replace the moment when two arms wrapped around her thighs in a goodbye. The tears that the girl had promised to get rid of, returned, but they didn't fall from his eyes, but from her own. How could she abandon him when Hoshi had found in his heart to look after her?

"I'm sorry, Miss…"

She sighed for what seemed to be the hundredth time in the past couple of minutes, "Amaya. Nashitaka, Amaya for the _third_ time." She held up three fingers, flinging them around furiously in his face.

The secretary waved his hand absently, "Right, right, but again I apologize. The Hokage is very busy at the moment and cannot be bothered. I suggest that you come back later to set up an appointment, or leave your mission scroll with me. "

She couldn't take it anymore and any patience that she might have had, vanished as if it had never existed. With a snarl, Amaya reached across the desk separating her from her victim and snatched up the collar of his shirt with clenching fists. She brought him inches from her face and spoke in a deadly, calm tone. "Look here. I am NOT going to come back later to see the Hokage. I don't give a _damn _if he's busy right now. I've come a long way and the news that I have to give him cannot wait any longer." Amaya paused to let this settle in the secretary's thick skull before narrowing her eyes in a death glare that could have frozen the man's nose off.

"So, here's what you're going to do for me. You are going to _get off your lazy ass and actually do something_!" At this time, she had to shake the man senseless to get her point across.

With one last shake, Amaya let him go which sent him flying into his chair and toppling onto the floor below. Papers flew everywhere from the sudden wind created by the force which she used. Random people around her gave the girl curious looks, but as she turned around to yell at them as well, everyone returned to their work as if this was a regular occurrence. She desperately hoped that it wasn't because a shred of pity for the secretary was beginning to form. If any person was like her, then this guy would not last long.

Calmly he stood up, wiping off imaginary dust that must have gathered on his clothes, before fixing his slicked black hair and righting his wire frame glasses that dangled dangerously off his nose. Amaya just stood there with her arms crossed over her chest as to keep herself from throttling the guy within an inch of his life. It didn't make a good impression to be strangling the Hokage's secretary, but no matter how tempting it was, she had to control herself.

"Control yourself Miss…"

"Amaya," she growled out with her teeth clenched. How the hell could he have forgotten after giving it to him four times now?

"Now, I don't know who you think you are, but…"

"I'm A Pissed Off Woman Dammit! That's who I am! Now let me in to see the Hokage or I'll…"

A shiver passed through Amaya's body as a presence came in from behind her. The threat that she was going to make, died on her lips as her senses took in the aura that blinded her "third eye". There was something different about him. Something intriguing. However, her evaluation only took less than a second and the guy scared the living crap out of her. So her reflexes took over. There was no telling where this instinct to inflict bodily harm, but it sure as hell developed more when Hoshi decided to set up surprise ambushes for his "favorite student." Before Amaya could stop herself, her mind ordered her fist to lift up and hit the attacker right in the face.

He expected that.

Her left fist was caught gently in a gloved hand and long, elongated fingers wrapped lovingly around her wrist in an iron grip. To say that didn't startle her was an understatement, but that didn't mean that she had to show it. Instantly, her eyes scanned everything about this stranger and she absentmindedly noticed that his mask resembled an animal. A dog to be exact. The red lines accented the whisker marks, but the eyeholes were too narrow to discern eye color. His silver hair made Amaya raise an onyx eyebrow and a tattoo of the symbol of the leaf was imprinted on his right arm that lay bare except for an armor like covering. At his side, her stormy orbs caught the distinct feature of a sword handle. The black sheath curved a bit to the side and appeared narrow. If she could take a guess, it would have to be a Katana. And just by sensing him, she could tell that he did indeed have the skill to wield the deadly weapon.

She didn't trust him. His mask covered all of his face and her eyes couldn't meet his own to see inside of him. He seemed to be hiding. Until this man proved to be trustworthy and dependable, Amaya didn't like him. But his body language was not threatening; it appeared to be relaxed so she wasn't in immediate danger. Just who was this masked man?

Just as she was examining him, the stranger did as well, but only a quick scan to check if the girl was here to cause harm. The ANBU noticed the flustered secretary and silently chuckled as he gave credit to this mystery Kunoichi. He would have remembered her if he had seen her before. Just something about her, intrigued him. By the state of her clothes, she indeed had seen a recent battle and the injuries to prove it.

Behind the safety of his mask, the ninja allowed his emotions to show. Narrowed eyes glared at the yellow fingers that marred the girl's neck like a brand. It encompassed her throat. To cause bruising as severe as that required a huge amount of force and pressure combined. A feeling of anger rose up inside of him at the dishonorable action that her enemy took to subdue her. He hoped that her unlucky opponent did indeed pay.

"Umm, I apologize for trying to smash your face in, but the feeling in my hand needs to be returned in order for it to function properly."

Shaking his head slightly erasing the protective thoughts that ran through his mind, the ANBU released the Kunoichi's hand and gave her an apologetic smile even though he knew that she couldn't see it. He had let his emotions get the better of him. She shouldn't have had to tell him to let go. He was a shinobi; emotions didn't exist in his line of work. It could get him killed. That kind of mistake was fatal and too many good ninjas had died because of that one slip up.

When her hand had been returned to her, Amaya absently rubbed it with her right fingers to return the blood flow that had been cut off from this guy's strong grip. The mask hid any sort of expression on his face, but when his head gave her a gentle nod, he was forgiven.

"I should be the one apologizing, my fair lady."

_What the hell! What did he just call me?_

"I am at fault for scaring you, angel. I did not realize that you were the jumpy sort."

Just who the hell was he? Was he asking her to pop him one in the jaw? How dare he insult her and jump to the conclusion that he had frightened her! She was just startled, that was all!

"Look here," she growled. "I don't know what you're trying to pull, but I'll tell you that it's annoying the hell out of me."

"I don't know what you mean, princess."

"Stop giving me names!"

The ANBU's head cocked to the side and Amaya could just imagine the smirk that had to be growing on his face. It only added to her growing frustration. What is with men giving women migraines?

"Ah, but your beauty cannot be described with mere mortal words. It seems that I have not found the right one quite yet."

Her eyes swept over her body, scanning every detail. The Jounin vest, Hoshi's, had numerous kunai scratches and the fading marks of blood that Amaya had tried her best to wash out in a river where she last bathed. That had been a day and a half ago. Her appearance couldn't be all that much to look at. Hair matted with grease and tangled had only been calmed with the twin ties. She was sure that smudges of dirt as well as yellowing bruises that had been given to her days before littered her face. There was nothing special about her. All she had in this life was what she carried on her back. She had nothing. She had nobody.

"What the hell," she whispered to herself and gave this guy an incredulous stare. "You don't even know my name!"

"Well, isn't it common courtesy to present it on the first meeting?"

She crossed her arms and smirked at the infuriating ninja, absently keeping an eye on the grumbling secretary who was picking up his blown paperwork. There was a long hallway to the right of her with kanji lettering on a door further down. At times, bustling men and women would be coming in and out with piles of scrolls, some blank and some filled. That was her destination and her final stop before leaving this village. That had to be it!

"Well, I was never taught manners. It wasn't really near the top of the to-do list. Besides," fingers positioned themselves in a single sign, "I don't like you."

A smoke cloud filled the entryway and concealed her escape. It easily blind- sighted the secretary, but the ANBU knew exactly where she was going and chuckled before walking calmly out. Maybe his relief of his duties for a couple of days wouldn't be so bad if he found that Kunoichi to annoy. She made it too easy. His steps halted in the road and mentally hit himself. He hadn't gotten her name.

(Back to Amaya)

There she silently stood, her hand poised above the sliding screen, inches away from the handle to open it. Muffled voices slipped through the door, but they reached unhearing ears. Her still shadow cast itself upon the white paper screen. Going inside meant reliving that horrid day. All she wanted was to forget. It has happened once before, why couldn't it do it again? She would have to tell the Hokage of her own failure and inability to save the most important person in her life. She had gotten him killed. Speed…she wasn't fast enough. Strength…she wasn't strong enough.

But if Amaya went past her fears and stepped inside the room, Hoshi would be able to have a proper burial. He would be remembered and his deeds acknowledged among his peers. If he had any family left, they would know what a hero he had been. But that meant giving up all his possessions. Her grip tightened on the faded, brown strap that cut into her shoulder. She would have nothing to remember him by.

Except for his loving smile that lived on in her memory.

There was no other choice. This was the right thing to do. It may not be the easiest path to take and certainly not the painless, but if there was a choice from right and wrong, you could only go down the road less traveled.

A cold blast of air filled her lungs and her scarred, pale fingers gently touched the varnished wood as she exhaled. Silently, Amaya pushed it aside and took her first glimpse into the room. There were no lavish decorations that depicted the power of the strongest ninja in the village. Nothing gave anything away that the most influential man stayed in this room. It almost appeared normal. For a moment the girl thought that her notions were wrong and prepared to leave, but when her storm blue eyes caught an old man gazing into a crystal ball, she knew that she couldn't leave.

Her feet became frozen on the wooden floor, her fingers still curled on the catch of the door, as her senses took in everything about him. At first glance, there was nothing special about this old man, but Hoshi had taught her to never underestimate her opponent. Age wasn't a factor in power, her sensai had proven that. Hoshi could still kick her ass even though he might have been in his forties. The symbol of his rank stood out on the Hokage's white and red robes. A thin smoke trail, slithered out from a pipe that moved from side to side in his mouth as his teeth clenched at something that he was gazing at.

There was nothing to be frightened of, yet her body refused to move. Her brain ceased to send signals to her locked legs and she was sure that her heart pounded loud enough for anyone to hear.

_Stop it;_ she told herself, _this is ridiculous! There is nothing to be scared of! You cannot let that jerk be right about you! If I can't even stand up to an old man, then what will happen when I face Orochimaru once more? Move Dammit!_

"Yes, child? How can I help you?"

The sudden words in the silent room startled Amaya and nearly caused her to trip over her feet. Her grip on the screen loosened and it closed with a snap as she hastily bowed to the Hokage.

"Don't worry about that," he said with a chuckle.

A blush filled her pale cheeks, but straightened up at his command. Her eyes locked with his for a mere second before she concentrated on a random object on his cluttered desk.

"I-I come bearing bad news, Hokage-sama."

"…I see." The old man heaved a sigh. "Come, come, sit down," he said while gesturing at a chair that was placed at the side.

Amaya simply shook her head and took a few more steps farther into the room before planting her sandal clad feet firmly on the floor. Her story would be told.

"Alright then, what is your name and rank?"

There would be no lies.

"I have no name, Hokage-sama. I had woken up with no recollection of who I was or anything else. Though, only recently was I named by a man who came from your village. He was Hoshi Nashitaka, Jounin of Konoha, a man whom I was proud to call father. And I am Amaya."

"…You said was."

She had hoped that he would catch that. To say that he had died was to say goodbye. She wasn't ready. It wasn't time.

"What has happened on your journey to make you end up here in Konoha, alone?"

Silently, Amaya brought her arms up and untied the hitai-ate of the leaf and clenched it in her hand as she unzipped the borrowed vest. With loving care, she folded it simply and placed the metal headband on top and put it on the Hokage's desk. The pack that had rubbed her shoulder raw slipped off and plopped down with the rest of the items.

"I will tell you my story, but maybe this will explain the parts that I cannot."

Within the folds of the Jounin vest, Amaya withdrew a crinkled letter with _Hokage_ scrawled hastily on the front. It bulged with its contents and small droplets of blood dotted the upper right corner. The seal remained unbroken and when the envelope was passed over, Amaya began her story.

(The Letter Is Important! I know that you may be confused on some parts, but if you have any questions, I will be sure to answer them. I'm reeeeaaaalllllyyy sorry for the late update, but as I said before, school is a living hell!)

Next update coming very soon…I hope…


	8. The Sun and the Star

Alright, since the author's note was WAY TOO LONG last chapter, there really isn't going to be much here.

All I have to say for this chapter is that I believed that Kakashi didn't make enough of a big appearance in the last chapter, so I'm going to fix that!

Oh, and Happy Reeaaaallllllyy Belated Easter everyone! I hope you all got to have enormous belly-aches from eating one pound chocolate bunnies, I DID!

Disclaimer- With the wave of my hand, I shall own Naruto! …DAMMIT!

Quote- _"If you live to be 100, I want to live to be 100 minus one day, so I will never have to live without you."_

Chapter Eight

The Sun and the Star

She slowly slid down the side of the building with a crumpled letter clenched in her hand. Eyes of the storm unleashed their fury and poured raindrops over her cheeks. Crying was for the weak, but her hand refused to unravel from her fist. Again and again she pounded the wall behind her before she crumpled to the floor. The sky had darkened and ever so slowly the sun drifted from its position above the clouds. Its color bled onto the land, soaking it in a beautiful orange. The hustle and bustle of the townsfolk died down into nothing and the streets were left empty.

How could he have done that to her? He knew the whole time and yet not a word was spoken to her! She was left in the dark and what had his actions accomplished! His Death! He had died! He left her alone to fend for herself and he knew the whole _damn_ time!

H-how could anyone stare into the face of death and laugh? Hoshi had done it. The man had practically taken up a stick and provoked it until it lashed out with its deadly fury. A chuckle bubbled past her lips, salty tears running into her mouth and dropping onto her tongue. That sounded just like him. He would do anything do get a laugh out of her, but did he have to make her cry?

Taking a deep breath and letting it out all at once, Amaya carefully unclenched her fingers and pulled at the sides of the letter so that she could read the messy scrawl that partly resembled letters once again.

_Dear Little Daisy,_

_Damn, I'm no good at writing things. I don't even know why people bother with these Kami be damned things! Someone should just invent a jutsu that could do these things for us and be done with it! Well, that's not how I wanted to start this out, but I'm sure that it caught your attention._

_So Quit Crying!_

_Yes, I know that is what you're probably doing right now, so I'm telling you to stop it or I'll pin you to a tree again! Oh, don't think that I won't because I'll find a way to do just that! _

_I know that I'm getting off track a bit, but I guess that I can't tell you in person that I love you. From the first moment that you broke my nose, I knew that you were something special if not a little short-tempered. I don't think that I've told you this, but you practically became my daughter in that short month that we knew each other. There could be no one else that I would rather pass down my knowledge to (even though it wasn't much). I know that I wasn't much of a teacher and at times maybe I could have done something different, but we don't get second chances._

_But if Kami allowed it, I would start all over again._

_Yes, I knew about the ninjas following us. Yes, I kept it a secret. And yes, I knew a battle would soon come, and that I probably wouldn't make it. Yeah, kiddo, I'm not that strong but I sure as hell will put up a fight if to just protect you. Apparently if you are reading this, then I must have done a pretty good job of it. _

_Now, I've got a couple of favors to ask. _

_Number One: Stop moping about! I'm dead so get over it!_

_Number Two: Make sure to whack that secretary guy a couple of times, I never liked him. Make it look like an accident._

_Number Three: Give the Hokage the rest of the junk in the envelope. That stuff doesn't have anything to do with you and is only meant for his eyes. Don't worry about it._

_Number Four: This is my last one and the most important! START A NEW LIFE! Maybe I'm not there to be with you, but that doesn't mean you can't do it on your own. _

_Live life to the fullest because it's the only one that you've got, and Kami has given you the second chance that many of us don't get. Don't think of your amnesia as a curse. It's a blessing. Maybe you cannot see it clearly now, but someday you will. _

_You serve a greater purpose and you have a destiny still unfulfilled. _

_Your loving father,_

_Nashitaka, Hoshi_

_P.S. The other sheets of paper connected to this one have the keys to my old house and my bank account which I give full access to you, Amaya 'Night Rain' Nashitaka. But you shall always be my little Daisy._

_P.S.S. There is a small case of Mold in the hallway bathroom; you might want to get that taken care of._

That idiot. But sure enough, folded carefully in blank pieces of paper were two metal keys, worn with age and an account slip with a PIN number written on it. On another scrap of paper was an address that had to lead to the house. He really was looking out for her. In the matter of seconds, she had everything she could need to start over. She had a place to live, money to support her, and the assurance that Hoshi's…death was not a wasted one. He had accomplished his mission for Konoha and had secretly switched mission scrolls to keep his collected information a secret. The paper that the attacking ninjas had torn up had been a complete fake. The man could be smart at times. Other times…not so much.

Well time to do what he said, Amaya thought to herself. Stop moping about like a little girl. Immediately, her tears stopped as her hand flicked them away. Her place in the dirt was left abandoned and was brushed off her ass. The keys that were promised in the letter were pocketed in her kunai holster for easy access and she uplifted her much lighter pack back on her shoulder. The clothes that she had been found in, stitched by the way, had been put back on and rested lightly against her sunburned skin. Sweatshirt and jeans felt comfortable and natural. To tell the truth, wearing ninja things didn't feel right when she wasn't even one yet. Her head felt much lighter without the Hitai-ate, but Amaya was sure that would be soon replaced when she became a ninja. That was her goal before and it would still be.

As she turned the corner, Amaya nearly fell flat on her face as her foot caught on something. Her mouth opened to curse and to kick the offending object out of her way, but all that came out was an empty gasp of air. She recognized the bundle on the ground. Naruto. What was the kid doing out this late? Faint snores reached her ears as the girl bent down to pick up the munchkin. He didn't seem to protest the movement, in fact his body instinctively curled up to the nearest source of warmth. Loving arms surrounded his body as Amaya held him close to her chest. Naruto's hands circled her neck and held her as tight as his little body could.

A soft touch glided across the skin of her neck and made a shiver course down her spine. She looked over her shoulder and saw a crushed daisy clutched tightly in his small fist. Had he been waiting all this time for her to come out? Amaya shuffled the boy around a bit until he rested comfortably on her hip with his head right below her chin where his golden spikes tickled her nose. His soft breathing signaled that she hadn't woken him up. Well, at least she would have company for her first night in Konohagakure.

Blindly picking a road to follow, the ninja-in-training stepped randomly in a direction in hopes of finding her new home. However, she didn't get far before a familiar silver-haired ninja popped up right in front of her causing her to yelp.

"I see that we meet again, my lovely little-"

"What the hell! Normal people don't jump out of nowhere," she whispered loudly in the ANBU's face as to not wake her sunshine up from his slumber.

"Well, I really wouldn't count myself as 'normal'."

She snorted, "I could have told you that."

"Ah, you wound me with your harsh words."

"Give me a minute and I'll kill you."

The ANBU withdrew a finger and pressed it against his chin in a mock thinking manner. Amaya took the time to look this strange man over. It had to be the same guy from earlier; there was no mistaking that hair and cocky attitude. The Dog symbol was gone, but a Hitai-ate covered his left eye and a mask erased any facial features below the nose, so there really wasn't much of a difference from before, though one eye was left open for her to read. His obsidian orb gazed lazily at her giving off nothing but a mischievous twinkle that reminded her of her own. There was nothing there…it was as if it was empty, he was empty. What could have happened to make him turn out the way he did.

Maybe she wasn't the only one with lost loved ones.

Before the ninja could open his mouth, Amaya pushed past him with her hands holding Naruto securely to her. The kid must be severely tired to continue sleeping through all of this.

But right after she had maybe gone a foot, there he was again.

"Can I ask a question?"

She ignored him and continued to walk away, "You just did."

"Ha, ha, hilarious. Seriously, though," he said while keeping pace with the girl, two years his junior.

She sighed, "If you must."

He stepped right in front of her, blocking her path. "Who are you?"

That was a good question. And one of the many that Amaya didn't know the answer to. Who was this stranger to be asking her of her personal business? He didn't know her. He had no right to pry into her life.

"Are you asking for my name or my history?"

A cheeky smile came across his face or what she could tell if it was a grin or not. "Whatever you're willing to give me I suppose."

"What if I believe that neither applies?"

"Then I guess this conversation was pointless."

The corner of her lip twitched upwards in a grin and a laugh bubbled in her throat. She hid her smile in the sunshine of the munchkin's hair. How could he make her happy so easily? This day wasn't a complete mess after all.

"Nashitaka, Amaya."

"Huh?"

"Well, you asked who I was." She cocked her head at the roadblock. "So do I have to ask about you? Because I heard that it's common courtesy to so."

"I was never really taught manners," he mocked from what she had said only hours before. Amaya shook her head in exasperation but was surprised when a half-gloved hand appeared before her line of sight. "Let's start over. I am Hatake, Kakashi of Konohagakure."

Without hesitation, Amaya shifted her bundle to free her arm to clasp Kakashi's hand in a firm grip.

"And I am Nashitaka, Amaya, ninja in training and I am one who never believed in first impressions anyhow."

It was silent for a moment as neither of them knew what to say next. A soft whisper of wind, however, snapped her out of her daze as she realized that Naruto was waking up. Amaya released Kakashi's hand and steadied the boy against her so that he wouldn't fall. Head of sunshine tickled her nose as he lifted it up to gaze into her cerulean eyes. For a moment, the orphan seemed confused but a bright smile that could rival the gleam of diamonds, formed on his face as he recognized his angel that he had met earlier today. Naruto yawned sleepily and rubbed his fist across his eyes to rub away his sleepiness.

He seemed to notice that he was in Amaya's arms and presented to her one of his treasures that he had come across. The daisy by now was crumpled and had been picked hastily so that a clump of roots still stuck to the end of the mutilated flower. However, it was still beautiful.

"Is this for me, kiddo," Amaya asked as she grasped the green stem between her fingers to take a look at it.

He nodded vigorously, "Yup! I finded it and wanted to give it to you, Ama-chan! But you were talking to the old man, so I waited for you to come out!"

How could anyone look at this boy and not see an angel?

"Thank you, kind sir," her voice dripping with drama.

Nevertheless, Amaya kept up her act, momentarily forgetting the ANBU, and brought the wildflower up to her nose, smelling it delicately before tickling Naruto's nose with its silk like petals. He giggled but was stopped when a yawn forced his jaws apart.

It was time to head home, for the both of them.

"Alright Naruto, its getting dark." After tucking the disgruntled flower behind her ear, she turned to the ninja beside her. His gaze was fixed on the boy who Amaya was holding and if she didn't know any better, she could have sworn that he was smiling underneath that mask of his. "Do you think I can ask you a favor, Kakashi?"

"Hm?"

Shuffling Naruto a bit more in her arms as she refused to put him down, besides the fact that he had a death grip on her neck, Amaya pulled out the small slip of paper that had her new address written sloppily on it. She put it up close to his face.

"Can you take me here?"

The ANBU looked over it for a second and blanked out for a second, thinking of where it was. Suddenly, he nodded and plucked it delicately out of her fingers and waved it about.

"H-hey! Don't lose that! I have no idea where I'm going!"

"Don't worry, Ama-hime, I know exactly where this is!"

Ama-hime…what the hell did that mean? She knew it had something to do with her name, so she asked Naruto who was giggling like mad at what Kakashi had said to her.

"He called you a princess!"

A streak of red flushed her cheeks.

"I-I'm not a princess," Amaya spluttered as she tried to cover up her blush.

"Whatever you say, Ama-hime," he sauntered with a wink.

"Shut up! Stop giving me names you moron! I've given you the real one already!"

"Oooohhh, Ama-chan said a baaaaad word!"

"I did not! I was just using a descriptive adjective!"

"Oh, I don't know about that, Ama-hime."

"He's right!"

Amaya looked down at Naruto with a raised eyebrow.

"You don't even know what an adjective is, do you?"

"Yuh-huh!"

"Really…so if I said that Cyclops here was an annoying jackass that should stuff his nicknames up a certain anatomical place that would cause rectal malfunction, would be classified as an adjective?"

"…Yup!"

"You know what? I get the feeling that we're going to be best friends, kiddo." Amaya turned to the shocked ninja and gestured with her head that he should keep moving. "So are you going to show me where that place is or am I going to have to expand my vocabulary even more?"

"I think we're going to be best friends, Ama-hime."

She glowered, "I hate you."

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

The walk was filled with barbed insults from all parties and only the more vulgar ones were given when Naruto had fallen asleep once more with his head cradled between the junction of Amaya's shoulder and neck. The comebacks were all in good fun and took the girl's mind off everything that had been bothering her for at least a time. It was actually quite amusing what one could come up with in the heat of the moment. And the both of them were quite sure that what words had been exchanged had no meaning behind them at all.

Still, Kakashi had not given up her new name and Amaya hated it with a passion.

"Here we are."

And indeed they were. Amaya looked up and looked at her new home with a critical eye. It wasn't big, but neither was it small. There were two levels to the house and two windows on the second floor and two at the bottom. Many shingles had been swept off the roof and the white paint that covered the wood had begun to chip off little by little. A small garden was placed beneath each windowsill, but had died off a while ago. Small flowers had been chocked with the invasion of weeds. This was her father's home.

And now it was hers.

This was the place where new beginnings started. Hoshi had told her in his letter that he wanted this for her. And Amaya would be damned if she would disobey him.

The route that they had taken to get here had many twist and turns and shops with their peeling signs only added to her confusion. Everything was unfamiliar to her and not a face bore a friendly smile as the day ended when she passed by. Amaya could only be thankful that Naruto was asleep; less she showed the villagers what she thought of their opinions. However, during her and Kakashi's game, the ninja-in-training made sure that every crude word uttered from her mouth was projected loudly towards the offending people.

The ANBU didn't say a thing. Not even did he ask questions about who she was or why her attire appeared to be very different from before. He was satisfied with only her name and her company. It was all she could give at the moment, and the silver haired ninja accepted that.

Maybe if he stuck around, that horrifying name that he had been gladly calling her wouldn't be so bad after all.

"I don't know how to thank you for your kindness."

Truly, she didn't. The only time she had been treated with respect had been with her sensai. This was all very new to her, but by no means was it an unwelcome feeling.

"Oh, I can think of a way, Ama-hime," he grinned mischievously. He pointed to his right cheek with an uncovered finger. "All I ask for in return is a kiss upon thy cheek from thou fair lips, princess."

Her hand froze from its position on the door handle. The keys stilled in her hands as the words left his mouth. Why that cheeky little bastard!

"I'm afraid that my date for the night has fallen asleep and is in desperate need for a warm bed. But I'll tell you what…"

Amaya stepped back from her porch and approached the ANBU with a swing in her hips. She got up within an inch of his face and gazed into his lone cobalt eye.

"…If you ever manage to get a kiss from me, I'll throw in an extra one."

She yanked his Hitai-ate down over his face and kicked open the now unlocked door before disappearing inside the house. Kakashi stood there on the abandoned street with a twinkle in his eye after he fixed the straight headband into its lopsided position.

"I'll be banking on that promise, Amaya Nashitaka," he whispered into the night as he slipped away without a sound to betray his existence.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

It took a few tries before Amaya found a bedroom that wasn't caked in the dust that threatened to swallow the both of them alive and she finally found one at the end of the hall on the second floor. The walls were bare and had certainly seen better days. Only a dresser, nightstand, and twin sized bed occupied the room. Dirt stained curtains swayed lightly in the breeze that entered through the cracked open window placed above the bed.

Light snores were emitted from the small bundle in her arms. A loving smile crossed her face as she carefully detangled Naruto's arms from around her neck. It only worked partially. The death grip was gone, but his small fingers refused to release her clothes no matter how hard Amaya tugged on his grip. Only when his whimpers echoed in the empty room did she finally give up.

Slowly, the girl bent down on the bed, pulling the covers back from the plain, wooden headboard. She kicked off her sandals and removed Naruto's own before settling them both on the bed. Almost immediately after her back connected with the mattress, did the boy curl up against her, with her shirt still clenched in his fist. She sighed. It appeared that Amaya wasn't going anywhere tonight.

Naruto's whimpers quieted when her own arms wrapped around his malnourished body and brought him into her warm embrace. The last thing she saw before she was taken away into her dreams was a small grin blooming on the child's face.


	9. The Sun and the Twin Moons

Okay, in the reviews that I have gotten (Which I HIGHLY appreciate) some people asked for more Kakashi and Amaya fluff…well maybe not in this chapter, but definitely in Chapter 10! She's gotta train sometime you know!

This chapter focuses on the growing relationship between Amaya and Naruto as well as the first meeting of the Uchiha brothers, Sasuke and Itachi. Don't worry though; Gai will make an appearance sooner than you think!

Remember that Amaya is only SIXTEEN and if you are waiting for her to adopt Naruto into her home…well keep waiting because it isn't happening until MUCH later! Eighteen is the age of adulthood, so it's going to have to wait until later chapters!

Okay, enough with my rants! On with the Fic!

Disclaimer- Do you people even read these? And if you do…do you even care?

Quote- "Who ever walked behind anyone to freedom? If we can't go hand in hand, I don't want to go."

Chapter Nine

The Sun and the Twin Moons

"You can cook?"

The sudden change from the silence that she was used to startled her into dropping the mixing spoon into the batter she had been stirring. Amaya had woken up around seven o'clock after plopping down onto the floor from the lack of space given to her. For a moment, her body tensed at the unfamiliar surroundings before realizing that she was alright, and that she was safe. For once Amaya had been able to sleep deep enough do that even the slightest noise was dead to her. She didn't have to sleep with one eye open due to her paranoia. In Konoha, she was safe. In her father's house, she would be protected. But only from outside sources, the girl couldn't save herself from her own stupid actions.

"Well, we're going to find out in a couple of minutes, kiddo," she answered while delicately picking out the now covered spoon from its voyage in the white slop.

And indeed they would. All she had to go on was an old, decrepit box that read "Instant Pancake Mix." It looked safe enough as there were no holes that gave away that any…creatures might have ventured in the cabinets to find a meal. So Amaya decided to try it. The directions on the back of the box weren't _that_ hard to follow, but the part she actually had to think on was how many to make and how to work the damn stove. The junk that she was now stirring once more looked nothing like the pancakes with their golden, brown fluffiness that was pasted on the Mix.

She'd have to fix that. But first Amaya had to figure out how to work that Kami-be-damned kitchen appliance!

She turned to the sleepy eyed Naruto, pointing her spoon at him, "I'm giving you a mission Ninja Naruto!" He immediately ceased his yawning and straightened up to attention. "Breakfast needs to be made and we're the only ones who can do it! This batter needs to be at perfection! Can you do it, Naruto?" She asked with a desperate tone mixed within her voice. She let her munchkin think about this for a moment before a loud gurgle erupted from the bowels of his stomach. It seemed that he was as hungry as she was.

"I can do it, Ama-chan! You can count on me!"

With a determined look on his face, the orphan snatched up the stirrer from Amaya's hand and pounced on the porcelain bowl with a savage ferocity that sent the mix slopping over the rim. With that part taken care of, she could now concentrate on the numerous knobs and dials that sent her mind into overload. How the hell could anyone make heads or tails about this weird contraption! Apparently, she couldn't.

At random, the girl turned something that had a symbol of a flame on the right side. Well, she wanted heat…so a picture of a fire was a good thing, right? Almost instantly, a small flick of something came up from one of the round plates that were placed on top of the stove. Frowning when nothing came up, she looked over at Naruto to see how he was doing. At the moment, he had left his "mission" to dig around the cupboards in search of something. A nervous chuckle escaped her when she noticed that the four year old knew more about cooking than she did.

Well, it wasn't her fault! Hoshi couldn't tell the difference between a frying pan and a skillet! Neither could she…wasn't it the same thing? Who cared, she decided. The reason that they made restaurants was for people like her who were not born with culinary skills!

Amaya only came back from her rant when it was too late. The key ingredient that Naruto had been looking for was now being poured into the bowl at an alarming rate. It was flour. And it certainly wasn't a small amount. Before she could stop him, an enormous white cloud billowed upwards and enveloped the kitchen, sticking everywhere it could. A couple of minutes passed before she could see through the albino haze, but when she opened her eyes, Amaya wished she could close them again.

It was a disaster. And it seemed that they were not going to have pancakes that morning.

As far as the eye could see, it was covered in flour. Not even could she discern where the kitchen ended and the living room began! Something began to move beneath the white powder and nearly made her jump out of her skin before she caught herself. It was just Naruto. His sky-blue orbs opened wide as he took in the damage he had done. Amaya had to hold in a laugh at his flour smothered body but then became alarmed when those sapphire eyes welled up with tears.

"Oh no, Naruto. No, no. This isn't your fault, it was an accident," she cooed as she bent down and took the boy into her arms, rubbing his back softly.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into her shoulder. "I didn't mean to. I just wanted to help."

Shaking her head, Amaya pushed the four year old away from her body to look him in the eye. "That's why they're called accidents, kiddo. Now c'mon," she said and stood up wiping excess flour off her face and trying not to look around her. "We need to give you a bath and then we can go out for breakfast, okay?" _After we make a stop at the bank…_

Naruto nodded furiously and snatched Amaya's hand to drag her off to the upstairs bathroom. She laughed and swooped the boy up into her arms. His delighted giggles echoed off the walls as the both of them left white footprints behind on the dark blue carpet.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Well, there wasn't much to choose from. For a few minutes now, Amaya had been looking for replacement clothing for herself and Naruto. Going shopping for food and clothes was on her To-Do list, but she hadn't counted on having nothing to wear to _go _out in. Her wardrobe consisted of ripped shirts and torn pants that weren't effective in covering areas that would be deemed inappropriate in public. And last night she hadn't really planned ahead, so now she was being forced to dig through the wardrobes of her sensai.

Earlier, she had stumbled upon the master bedroom of the first floor after she had dumped Naruto in the bathtub, letting him bathe himself. It was _very_ uncomfortable for her to see the boy naked. She barely knew the kid, and had no wish to learn the male anatomy from a four year old child. The birds and the bees talk from her father was the most awkward thing she had to go through. While he was explaining however, Amaya could have sworn that the man had turned at least five different shades of red.

Now here she was, trying to find something small enough to fit her. Of course she knew about Hoshi's wife, but it was awful enough going through a dead person's personal items let alone someone that she had never met before. Already Amaya had found a child's room, she could tell from the small crayon drawn portraits and numerous dolls, that she assumed to be little Kiana, her sensai's nine year old daughter. It was breathtaking. The feeling of love that she picked up from this room could not be described with mortal words. There couldn't have been a happier little girl on this earth. And from the layer of dust that covered the bedding and walls, no one had dared disturb this innocent haven.

It was heartbreaking to go through the room, looking for clothes to fit the munchkin down the hall.

When she left, Amaya clutched an old, plain orange shirt and a pair of black shorts. This was her home now, but not even could she drag up the thought of rearranging. In this house…there were memories that spoke a lifetime of love, pain, and happiness. They were frozen forever in time, never being able to leave. But they could still be felt. Only time could tell what would happen and it wasn't her place. She had no right.

Shaking her head to be rid of the disturbing thoughts, Amaya just simply grabbed an outfit that was stored near the back and slipped it on. It consisted of plain tan pants and a black shirt that was long enough to slip past the tips of her fingertips. The same could be said for the leggings. They surely went past her toes and trailed along the carpet. Sighing irritably, the teenager rolled up the ends as well as the waist line as she couldn't find anything else to secure them to her body. The sleeves were scrunched up as well and Amaya knew that she looked ridiculous. It didn't matter, however. This was only temporary.

Determined to not let this bother her, the ninja-in-training just picked up Naruto's temporary clothes and made her way to the bathroom. Softly, she knocked on the door.

"Hey, kiddo. You done in there yet?"

"You've gotta come in here and see this!" His voice was a bit muffled through the door, but Amaya got the gist of it.

Hesitantly, the girl placed her hand on the doorknob and prepared to close her eyes. Before she could even open the door all the way, Amaya knew that she had made a _big_ mistake on letting the kid bathe on his own.

"Watch this Ama-chan!"

"No! No Naruto! Don't!"

"CANNONBALL!"

Her warning came too late and the naked boy had already jumped off the countertop of the vanity and barreled into the VERY full tub of water. What occurred could only be classified as a natural disaster. A humongous tidal wave erupted from the bath and came straight for her. In less than a second, her new clothes were sticking to her body from lukewarm water, and was creating a bigger puddle beneath her to add to the small lake that was once a bathroom.

"Wasn't that the coolest thing that you've ever seened," Naruto cried from the now empty tub!

Amaya closed her eyes and mentally counted to ten before letting out a calming breath and assessing the damage done.

"You bet. I now have a desert in my kitchen and a swimming pool for a bathroom. Now, we're both going to get changed and I'll take you home."

Home? Home! He didn't want to go home! This time that he spent with his new best friend had been the most funnest thing that had ever happened to him! She couldn't take him home! He couldn't go back to that hell-hole!

Amaya instantly became wary as a wicked smirk bloomed across Naruto's face. Almost, she could have sworn that he even let out an evil chuckle. This wasn't going to be good.

"You'll have to catch me first, Ama-chan!"

And before she knew it, there the boy went…stark naked…right out the door…straight onto public streets…without any clothes. Oh Shit.

"NARUTO! YOU CAN'T GO STREAKING!" Her yells fell on deaf ears as the madly giggling child got farther and farther away. Damn, that kid could run fast.

Having no choice but to go after him, Amaya forgot her drenched clothes and gave chase to Naruto with his mildly damp shirt and shorts gripped in her right hand. Her face turned beat red as random people gave her scalded looks as Naruto flashed everyone with his bare behind. Amaya grit her teeth and swore that when she caught up to him and got him decent once again, she would find the closest tree and use the same lessons that had been passed on down to her. She would pin him to a tree and eat lunch right in front of him with his belly growling protests.

"NARUTO! PUT SOME CLOTHES ON FIRST AND _THEN_ YOU CAN RUN AROUND LIKE A MANIAC!"

"You can't catch me, Ama-chan," he jeered before turning a sharp corner.

Amaya followed soon after, catching up fast. She would never hear the end of this if she allowed him to go down two blocks. Where was that Cyclops when she actually needed him! Her foot caught on the stone wall, propelling her to zoom around the corner where Naruto had disappeared and nearly ran down a boy with her haste. Thinking quickly, the teenager bent down to the ground and slammed her hands on the dirt, lifting her body up into the air, neatly sailing of the kid's head and landing on her feet once more.

"Sorry!" She yelled over her shoulder before putting on an extra burst of speed to pounce on her naked sunshine.

It resulted in a scuffle with him biting her on the arm when she tried to slip his shirt over his head. At the last second, Amaya noticed that she forgot underwear, but it was too late now because this boy was putting on shorts no matter how many times his baby teeth left indentions in her skin. With one last tug, Naruto was crossing his arms with a pout on his face, fully dressed. The girl looked down at him after she stood up and brushed dirt off her person and noticed that his bath wasn't even worth it. His golden hair had muddied down with all the dust in it, and the clothes had scuffs all over them. Well, she couldn't say much about herself. Amaya probably looked the same except that her pants were falling down as well as being filthy.

"Well, I've got to say, kiddo. My first day here has certainly been an interesting one. Even though that-

"I see that you finally caught him. I'm surprised that he even managed to go two blocks let alone escape."

Amaya turned around, ready to yell at whoever had interrupted her and even added an insult, but she blanched when all she saw was…a kid. He couldn't have been more than ten years old! His black hair was tied in a ponytail with a black top and pants. Out of the corner of her eye, she managed to see a brief flash of red on his back when the boy slightly moved to his right.

She snorted, "Ha, and I'm surprised that your mother let you out here without adult supervision. What are you, seven?"

He growled, giving her a menacing look. _Please, I've seen worse on housewives_, Amaya thought to herself. "You're on private property, and I'm going to demand that you leave."

Amaya looked down at Naruto and gave him a mock-glare. "When you go streaking, at least do it on public streets unless you hate the guy then all I have to say is…more power to you!"

She got an even worse glare from the kid that could surly freeze her nose right off. All she gave in return was a brilliant smile that seemed to piss him off even more. Amaya took a step forward and pointed a finger at him, but before she could even get one word out, she was sent off balance by a humongous force that rammed into her legs.

"Don't touch my brother, lady!"

What had barreled into her was a small boy…smaller than the twerp that she was talking to before. The shrimp had to be about the same age as Naruto as they were about the same height…and the same insistence to make her day interesting. After his head long tackle, the boy was now hitting her thigh with his small hands that could barely be felt. Although if he kept punching the same spot, a bruise would form so Amaya decided to make him stop.

Forgetting about her yelling match with "property" boy, the girl clenched the collar of the kid's black shirt, which matched his brother's, and lifted him up and away from her. His fists were still flying as his eyes refused to open and when he was only hitting air, the boy looked at her dirtied face with his onyx orbs meeting her sapphire ones.

"What's your name?"

All she got for an answer was a blink.

"He doesn't have to tell you anything," came the reply.

Amaya turned her head towards the older sibling and gave him a glare that obviously read, "Piss Off"! She got one in return as well.

"Whatever," she sighed and gently let the smaller boy down. Her hand rested lightly on his raven spikes as he straightened himself out. "But let me ask you a quick question. Will I get an answer if I let Naruto here moon you?"

It was silent except for Amaya's chuckles that burst from her mouth at the disgusted expression on the twerp's face.

"Hey, Ama-chan! Look!"

She turned around. "What is-Naruto, pull your pants _up_!"

"But you told me to," he protested.

"I said to-

Her sentence was cut off when a melodic voice came from not too far away.

"Sasuke-kun! Itachi-kun! It's time for breakfast!"

Quickly, Amaya zipped to Naruto and forcefully hiked up his shorts and pinned them to his shirt with a senbon needle that she found in her kunai holster. If that didn't keep them up then there were always shuriken, but she figured that might be a little uncomfortable.

"Oh, hello there. Who might you be?"

Amaya turned around and set her focus on the woman in front of her. She was beautiful. Her unbound midnight hair fell across her shoulders in waves and shone radiantly as the sun's rays hit upon it. Her simple blue dress and white apron gave her a homely appeal and from what the teenager could see, there was a red and white…fan on the sleeves of the navy material. Seeing no one else around her besides the kids that must be Sasuke and Itachi, Amaya deduced that the lady must have been addressing her.

"Oh, umm, I am Nashitaka, Amaya and this squirt right here is Uzumaki Naruto."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Amaya. My name is Uchiha Akiko (means bright light) and my two boys, Itachi and Sasuke."

The now identified boy crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Amaya with fury. She just smirked as she now knew his name and he couldn't do a damn thing about it because his mother was around.

"It's wonderful to meet the mother of these two…fine young men. I apologize for Naruto and for myself if we disturbed you."

Ha, score one for Amaya!

Akiko laughed, "Oh, no, no! There's been no trouble at all. We were just getting ready for our morning meal. You would be most welcome to join us, Amaya and Naruto."

The girl blushed red and laid a hand upon her munchkin's head when his stomach rumbled loud enough for it to echo. Hers did as well, but much quieter than his.

"I-I'm sorry, but we both look like a mess and I couldn't stand to intrude upon-

"I cannot accept no for an answer. Come, I invited you into our home and the little one seems about to collapse from hunger."

"If-if there's no trouble, then the both of us would be happy to accept."

Suddenly, Naruto bounced up and threw his fists up into the air and screamed his happiness.

"YEAH! I LOVE breakfast! C'mon Ama-chan, I bet Lady Akiko's cooking is a _lot_ better than yours!"

"I'm not about to take that bet," Amaya muttered under her breath.

The Lady Uchiha let out a marvelous laugh and put an arm around the girl's shoulders, leading her towards a mansion of some sort. Her boys followed behind but soon the smallest one's excitement fed of Naruto's and joined in the hopping around. Itachi just rolled his eyes at their foolishness and continued to burn holes through Amaya's back. Warmth seeped into her body as the loving care radiated off of this woman. From both the arm on her shoulders and the kindness that Akiko gave, were absorbed into her heart. This was a moment to never be forgotten.

"That boy just seems to be full of energy. You're lucky to have a wonderful brother like that."

"Yeah…you're right. He is wonderful isn't he?"

"But is something wrong with his clothes? They seem to be held together by something."

"Umm, yup," she nervously chuckled. "It seems that I bought him a size too big and they can't help but falling down around his ankles."

Well, it wasn't a complete lie.


End file.
